2023 Editors’ Choice: Preamplifiers $5,000 – $10,000

Audible Illusions L3B

$5295

A purist design based on a single Russian 6H23n-EB triode per channel, the L3A distills the best attributes of modern tube sound: precise transients, a detailed presentation, and natural yet non-euphonic textures. It is its insistence on the sonic truth that defines it as a true reference line preamp. The L3A’s ability to retrieve the music’s rhythmic drive and drama makes it one of the most sonically persuasive line preamps on the market. Audible Illusions’ best effort to date and one of the best line preamps DO has auditioned over the years at any price: audible illusions on a grand scale! DO, 259

PrimaLuna EVO 400

$5295

The EVO 400 is not only PrimaLuna’s best line preamp offering ever, but it also holds its own against ultra-high-end competition. It’s hard to escape the impression that it was designed from the ground up on a power amplifier chassis. It features massive and sophisticated power supplies, high-voltage regulation, exotic passive parts, and tube rectification via a pair of 5AR4s. Miraculously, it manages to combine the virtues of modern tube sound with the tonal heft and timbral realism afforded by vintage tube preamps. If purity of expression and tonal realism are sonic priorities, get ready to embrace the EVO 400. DO, 305

Atma-Sphere MP-3

$5590 ($6500 with LOMC phono)

This no-frills tubed preamp from Atma-Sphere is a must-hear for the purist music lover. Offering a crystal-clear, smooth, and concise window on the music, the MP-3’s expansiveness is a perfect match for both tube and solid-state amplification. Balanced-only operation, phono optional. SK, 184

Aesthetix Calypso/Calypso Signature

$6000/$8500

The all-tube Calypso delivers most of the performance of Aesthetix’ two-box $13,000 Callisto linestage for about a third the price. Sonically, the Calypso is characterized by extremely good dynamics and dynamic nuance. Although the treble is smooth and somewhat laid-back, transparency and resolution are first-rate. Noise floor is highly dependent on tube quality, which has been variable. Competes with the megabuck preamps. The Signature version improves on the Calypso’s already terrific performance with an expanded soundstage, richer portfolio of instrumental textures, more air, longer decays, and better-defined bass. AT found that the Signature version imparted a warmer cast to timbres. RH, 151; AT, 196

Pass Labs XP-12

$6100

The XP-12 line-level preamp forgoes dual-chassis extravagance but sonically you wouldn’t know it. Music abounds with stunning orchestral layering and complex three-dimensional soundspace vistas. There’s a level of harmonic bloom across the spectrum, most notably in the infusion of resonance and decay cues around strings and winds. Anchored by the precision of Wayne Colburn’s single-stage electronic volume control from the Xs line, the XP-12 produced an almost eerie sense of music spontaneously bursting forth in the here and now. An outright bargain. NG, 286

Lamm Industries LL2.1

$8490 ($8790, deluxe version)

This all-tube linestage preamp (with tube rectification) captures 80% of the sound of price-no-object preamps for a fraction of their cost. Never in-your-face analytical, the LL2.1 frames details organically within the fabric of the music. Treble, bass, and transparency can be improved by using the right after-market tubes. DO, 198

McIntosh C53

$8500

McIntosh’s C53 preamplifier replaces a whole shelf-full of components, rolling a state-of-the-art linestage, phono- stage, DAC, equalizer, and headphone amp into a single elegant, albeit large box, with no compromises in performance. With 16 inputs and three outputs, the C53’s connectivity is unrivaled, its DAC supporting every popular digital format, plus an ARC HDMI input that correctly decodes and mixes down movie and TV sources for those who demand first-class AV reproduction through their two-channel setups. Its two phonostages are good enough to obviate the need for separates. In addition to all this, the C53 offers battleship construction and looks that just radiate class, taste, and style. One of PS’ reference preamplifiers. PS, 315

Aesthetix Janus/Janus Signature

$9000/$13,500

The Janus combines Aesthetix’ Calypso linestage with a scaled-down Rhea phonostage in a single chassis. The Signature version features upgraded parts in the identical circuit. The units share numerous qualities: speed and detail; a low noise floor; precise rhythms; dynamics that are almost reference-caliber; and a laid-back perspective. The quiet background and smooth highs add up to long hours of glorious, fatigue-free listening. AT, 196

MBL Cadenza C11

$9200

With civilized sonics, both airy and open, dynamics that are lively, and dimensionality and imaging that are exceptional, the C11 is a joy to use in concert with other Cadenza gear, where control and communication via Ethernet link is glitch-free. It is also equipped with one of the most sonically transparent analog volume controls (via a motorized potentiometer) that we’ve come across. NG, 228

Mark Levinson N^o5206

$9900

Part of the more affordable (for Mark Levinson) 5000 Series, the N^o5206 sports a host of advanced circuits and features. The dual-monaural signal path is direct coupled and pure Class A in operation. The audio path features a single gain stage mated to a digitally controlled resistor-ladder volume control. The N^o5206 is fitted with an integral DAC with MQA decoding and rendering and Bluetooth connectivity; the unit can handle PCM up to 384kHz/24-bit as well as DSD up to 11.2MHz. The N^o5206 even includes a headphone jack with enough current drive to power any ’phones. The icing on the cake is an outstanding mm/mc phonostage featuring a hybrid gain technology with an infrasonic filter and unusually comprehensive cartridge-loading adjustment. The preamp is superb with low-level passages, with resolution limited only by the source, not the preamplifier itself. AHC, 322

Pass Labs XP-22

$9975

The XP-22 is a significant upgrade from the previous model in this slot. Based on new semiconductors and a new volume control, the two-chassis XP-22 vaults the performance into another league. The dual-mono power supplies feature double-shielded toroidal transformers for even lower noise. The output stage is more robust, with the ability to drive long cable runs. The XP-22 is so transparent that it improves upon the sound of running a source component directly into a power amplifier—not something every linestage can claim. Musically meaningful detail and resolution are excellent. If the recording possesses the information, the rendering of space can be dramatic and dynamics startling. AQ, 316

Yamaha C-5000

$9999

Yamaha put some heart and soul into its return to the audio deep end. While the NS-5000 speakers and GT-5000 turntable are likely to attract most of the 5000 Series attention, the C-5000 preamplifier deserves its own spotlight. This fully balanced, solid-state preamp incorporates a wonderful, fully discrete phonostage with a massive 80dB of potential gain. There’s a feeling of a signal unimpeded. The C-5000 doesn’t require a sonic counterbalance elsewhere in the system. It also happens to be one of the most rewarding components to just put your hands on and use. An interesting and unique option in high-end preamplifiers, especially if a turntable is an important part of your system. AM, 308