Israel Blume writes about his SE/PP Retro and his Control Master Phono Preamp:

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Hey there!

The amps arrived today - wow, lovely little beasties! They have been set up
and are making music (Tommy right now, Beck Odelay before...) - these things
can rock for sure. They actually mate quite nicely with the Sonus Faber
Extremas, a speaker that usually demands lotsa current... but it has such a
benign impedance that it seems to be a worthwhile match for the 300B's. I
never listen at ear-splitting levels, anyways. Although I haven't really run
them in much, I did get a chance to play wtih the SE/PP switch and also some
neg feedback. I think I like SE with about 3-4db of neg feedback so far.

I'm a very happy camper! Noticed that these have the 'asian' tube compliment.

Thanks and thanks and thanks again, Eve Anna... you've made my day. I've been
wanting to hear first hand what the whole 300B/SE thing was about and these
little guys will do just that for me... and more. I love that they are
flexible to go to PP on the fly and also the variable neg feedback. Really
helpful, love that aspect of these things.

Chris Sommovigo

Dear EveAnna,

The amps are absolutely stunning both aesthetically and sonically. They are so refined and seductive in a natural sense. They are exceptionally dynamic and impactful on my Millenniums, although they do not have quite the testicular capacity (balls) of the compact SE/PP. But they are so much cleaner.

They are incredibly liquid and harmonically continuous and complete particularly in the midband. Spaces between instruments and indeed notes, project from a silky black background which creates the affect of spooky transparency and immediacy.

With the Millenniums, they are truly a full range amp with only the slightest compromise in terms of absolute low end extension and weight. But oh the magic in the midrange and top! The revelation of low level detail and ambient cues is remarkable. I was up to 4AM last night and have been listening all morning. Pure seduction.

Well, I better get back to the business of building some speakers. You must hear these amps on the Millenniums. Ernie Fisher of The Inner Ear Report said the only speaker that can compete with them is the Tannoy Churchill.

and the next day........

Well, last night you had me up until only 2AM. After listening to Miles, Mozart, Brahms and Rachmaninov it was time to rock. A switch from SE to PP ignited the turbo chargers and all hell broke loose. This amp was explosive. Bottom end impact and control was better than a lot of solid state and destroyed most tube amps regardless of wattage. The amps are so alive that listening to music is transformed from a spectator activity to becoming a participant in the entire event. Talk about involving.

The amps in PP mode do give up a tad of purity on small scale performances but proves to be a revelation on big, dynamic works. The flexibility of having both at your finger tips with a flick of a switch is pure genius. The SE/PP mated to the Millenniums is simply a magical combination. All the inherent strengths of SE 300Bs with virtually no compromise.

I also auditioned the Control Master Phono preamp's line section. (My cartridge is coming next week consequently phono evaluation will have to wait). Since my CD set up has analog volume pots, conducting a bypass test is a breeze. This is exactly what I did in order to determine how transparent the preamp's line stage actually is.

Transparent is the way to describe it. With the line stage in, the sound was virtually identical to the CD player going directly to the amps. There was a very slight rounding of transients and a touch of low level detail was obscured with the line stage inserted into the signal path. Only an exceptionally high resolution system would be capable of exposing this. The line stage's affect on the signal was akin to using a 2m interconnect as opposed to a 1/2 m. All in all quite an achievement.

I think you might get the impression that I am impressed and how.

and then again a couple days later....

Dear EveAnna,

I also received my Transfiguration cartridge and have listened to the Control Master preamp. Let's cut to the chase: the unit is superb! It is very quiet and the feel of the knobs and controls inspire confidence. Love the discrete resistor volume pot.

The preamp is devoid of any obvious failings. It does everything at least very well and a lot of things simply marvelously. What really sets the preamp apart is its ability to perform at the state of the art on both micro and macro levels. Only a select group of componentry is so capable. These two areas are often mutually exclusive. A component that excels in one is usually deficient in the other and vice versa. Not so with the Control Master. It is explosively dynamic and impactful yet concomitantly is capable of revealing the subtlest of nuance. All this translates to a unit that is very musically involving because it is so naturally gifted. The combination of the Retros and the Master Control with my Millenniums is transporting me to places and emotions that I have yet visited.

Thanks for everything.

Best regards,

Israel Blume

Coincident Speaker Technology 

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