After having owned the AA 12AU7 preamp for around 1.5y, I still had no intention to part with it, given how adjusted I was with its pleasant and pleasurable sound. But I gave into the greed of changing to the newer 6SN7 variant that Nitin Ji offers. The retail version of the 6SN7 costs 50k in base form. But I had paid for the following upgrades:
1) 1 extra SE input, amounting to 2 SE inputs in total.
2) Teflon coated electrical wiring.
3) Silver plated signal wiring.
4) upgraded caps at the output and before it.
5) upgraded pot.
While it has been my experience that all parts used in stock variant of all the AA products to be of very good quality, I still decided to splurge for the upgrades as I was planning to keep this for the long haul. The total came out to be 65k.
The unit is built to the same standards and quality as their #1 PCL82 Headphone Amp and El84 Power amp, as it uses the same chassis. That is to say that the build quality is amazing irrespective of price and is built like a tank. Now, changing the preamp taught me a very valuable lesson that I was not aware of : just HOW MUCH of a difference a preamp can make. I was not ready to hear the level of difference it made. I recently changed my speakers and the difference the preamp made is almost as big as the difference the speaker change made.
The ENTIRE sound changed, the very character of it. If I were to put it crudely- an amp change or a speaker change feels like someone putting on makeup to change their appearance, while a preamp change feels like the entire DNA sequence of that person changed, which results in a completely different person altogether
. I was now listening to an entirely different sound. The 12AU7 variant has the quintessential high end tube sound i.e., it is thick, bold and vivid with lots of resolution in the midrange and a powerful low end. The highs are notably smooth and pleasant, taking the edge off even the worst and harshest recordings out there, but without losing much detail, if any. It is thick and "musical" but never sounded bloated or gooey. It always struck the right balance. I could put up literally anything and have a very pleasurable experience. I know there is no way to judge absolute neutrality but the 6SN7 feels extremely uncolored when it comes to tone. It takes dynamics and resolution up several notches and presents a background that is so black that its sometimes eerie when listening in the dark. One might feel, if this is so neutral, why not just go for SS Pre? The thing is, it doesn't sound like SS either. There is a subtle coloration to the sound that it imparts, but it really is hard to pinpoint, and it almost feels intangible. Very subjectively speaking- it adds a sense of vibrancy, energy and "glow" to the music while still acting like an electron microscope when it comes to revealing the inner details of the music. If your recording is garbage- it will tell you that most clearly, but it still never gets fatiguing. Even this manages to strike just the right balance.
Is it better than the 12AU7? For me, yes. But one may prefer the 12AU7 over this as they are totally different sounding aimed at two different kinds of listeners. If at the end of the day all you want to do is crash on the couch and have a very "musical" experience and wash yourself with dopamine, then 12AU7 is for you. The 6SN7 cannot do what the 12AU7 does and vice versa. It is also important to note that I haven't heard the 6SN7 in its base form so I cannot comment on that.
Overall, this remains one of the best purchases I have made and such a bargain even at 65k. And I personally feel this is also one of the best pieces that AA makes. I also have a new-found respect for preamps in general, and I honestly feel they are at least as important as an amp in the chain given just how drastic a change they can bring.
1) 1 extra SE input, amounting to 2 SE inputs in total.
2) Teflon coated electrical wiring.
3) Silver plated signal wiring.
4) upgraded caps at the output and before it.
5) upgraded pot.
While it has been my experience that all parts used in stock variant of all the AA products to be of very good quality, I still decided to splurge for the upgrades as I was planning to keep this for the long haul. The total came out to be 65k.
The unit is built to the same standards and quality as their #1 PCL82 Headphone Amp and El84 Power amp, as it uses the same chassis. That is to say that the build quality is amazing irrespective of price and is built like a tank. Now, changing the preamp taught me a very valuable lesson that I was not aware of : just HOW MUCH of a difference a preamp can make. I was not ready to hear the level of difference it made. I recently changed my speakers and the difference the preamp made is almost as big as the difference the speaker change made.
The ENTIRE sound changed, the very character of it. If I were to put it crudely- an amp change or a speaker change feels like someone putting on makeup to change their appearance, while a preamp change feels like the entire DNA sequence of that person changed, which results in a completely different person altogether
. I was now listening to an entirely different sound. The 12AU7 variant has the quintessential high end tube sound i.e., it is thick, bold and vivid with lots of resolution in the midrange and a powerful low end. The highs are notably smooth and pleasant, taking the edge off even the worst and harshest recordings out there, but without losing much detail, if any. It is thick and "musical" but never sounded bloated or gooey. It always struck the right balance. I could put up literally anything and have a very pleasurable experience. I know there is no way to judge absolute neutrality but the 6SN7 feels extremely uncolored when it comes to tone. It takes dynamics and resolution up several notches and presents a background that is so black that its sometimes eerie when listening in the dark. One might feel, if this is so neutral, why not just go for SS Pre? The thing is, it doesn't sound like SS either. There is a subtle coloration to the sound that it imparts, but it really is hard to pinpoint, and it almost feels intangible. Very subjectively speaking- it adds a sense of vibrancy, energy and "glow" to the music while still acting like an electron microscope when it comes to revealing the inner details of the music. If your recording is garbage- it will tell you that most clearly, but it still never gets fatiguing. Even this manages to strike just the right balance.Is it better than the 12AU7? For me, yes. But one may prefer the 12AU7 over this as they are totally different sounding aimed at two different kinds of listeners. If at the end of the day all you want to do is crash on the couch and have a very "musical" experience and wash yourself with dopamine, then 12AU7 is for you. The 6SN7 cannot do what the 12AU7 does and vice versa. It is also important to note that I haven't heard the 6SN7 in its base form so I cannot comment on that.
Overall, this remains one of the best purchases I have made and such a bargain even at 65k. And I personally feel this is also one of the best pieces that AA makes. I also have a new-found respect for preamps in general, and I honestly feel they are at least as important as an amp in the chain given just how drastic a change they can bring.
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