Silver Slagle Autoformer

[Kcin]

I took the plunge as I continue to investigate top of the line active preamplifiers here to understand how they interact in my system.

So far, some positive and mostly negative results in the $25K range of preamps that have passed by here over the last few months. I wanted to try the EMIA autoformer as well. After speaking with Dave Slagle, great guy and service btw, I decided on his raw pure silver stereo autoformer as he indicated this is the same one in the EMIA finished product.

This is an experiment so if it does not work out .. it is a bit of effort and the full outlay for the finished product was not expended. Besides I don't mind some DIY .

Collecting the parts and drilling and punching holes was the hardest part. So pure silver wiring, sliver RCAs and Silver Shallco military selector switch. How does it sound?

I will experiment over the coming week or so and report back if there is an interest.

 

[bazelio]

Nice! Love these DIY projects. Mine says hello...

 

[GroovySauce]

I have an EMIA Remote Cu and love it!

 

[beaur]

I am an autoformer convert. My main preamp is a Bent Audio TVC with John Chapman's autoformer modules. I also have one of Emia's first strain gauge units that has Dave's silver autoformers. Love them both although I do prefer the sound of the silver ones the copper is great too.

 

[Kcin]

Just following up. I burned in the transformer with the Cable cooker for 48 hrs.

Preliminary thoughts. No lack of body or drive, tons of detail with no harshness, harmonically rich no thinness.

This is a winner.

I will have a very famous Swiss preamp here this week and we will do some comparisons. I will finish with
the Allnic L10000 after that. More to come.

 

[bonzo75]

Just following up. I burned in the transformer with the Cable cooker for 48 hrs.

Preliminary thoughts. No lack of body or drive, tons of detail with no harshness, harmonically rich no thinness.

This is a winner.

I will have a very famous Swiss preamp here this week and we will do some comparisons. I will finish with
the Allnic L10000 after that. More to come.

Is it a Soulution preamp?

 

[Kcin]

Is it a Soulution preamp?

I'll start with the CH L1 then hope to get the L10 here as well. Our distributor currently has the L10 out on loan though.

The DaVa and Etsuro Gold apparently arrive in September. So, lots of work to do before settling in for winter.

 

[bonzo75]

I'll start with the CH L1 then hope to get the L10 here as well. Our distributor currently has the L10 out on loan though.

The DaVa and Etsuro Gold apparently arrive in September. So, lots of work to do before settling in for winter.

Will be interesting to see how it works with your valve power amps. Please let us know in the preamps you try, where do you hear more difference in your cartridges, and in recordings, ambience on the recordings

 

[Ovenmitt]

Book marking this thread. My world - stereo system and life in general - is in a serious state of change at the moment. I’m very interested in what you find out on this one.

 

[Kcin]

Book marking this thread. My world - stereo system and life in general - is in a serious state of change at the moment. I’m very interested in what you find out on this one.

That's a lot of responsibility I have on this assessment.

Hopefully, I can pass some meaningful impressions on to you.

I want the Slagleformer to come out victorious with more ticks than the active , however, my engineering side says there are places where actives belong for most.

I can say that I have played some very well regarded active line stages here in the past few months and most of them destroyed more than they offered from what I have going Io direct on phono. Drive and bass energy was there-- detail, ambiance , spaciousness , depth was smeared or gone.

High hopes for the CH and Allnic. Perhaps, higher hopes for the Slagle. This will take a little while.

 

[Kcin]

CH Precision L1 is in for comparison

I must say the construction of this unit is impeccable along with it's ergonomics it is beautiful machine. I have many friends with CH here and I never really had a chance to operate or handle them over any extended time . I have an appreciation for its construction.

The Incitio S was in earlier - it was a very energetic from the lower frequencies up - in relation to my Io direct it blunted leading edges and it collapsed stage width and depth perceptively enough for me to be concerned. It was a very exciting preamp I could see how it may fit in very nicely in many systems. It is easy to be impressed by this preamp. The word is the Impera is another world and I hope to get that in here as well in the coming months.

In the interim the CH with just a short time with a fully broken in unit- more listening to come- does no damage. It is clean & articulate, I would not call it lean but it definitely does not lend character as the Incito S does. And yes I have heard what x1 can do for L1 - it is perceptively better but was not "wow" for me. The L10 obliviates the concept of L1 + any combination x1 now I'm sure.

The kind distributor and dealer here installed the L1 and the distributor has the L10 in his system now. Maybe I can trick him to bring it over!

So far, the Slagle is incredible and holding its own against the CH-really! - my view may change as I listen more- but I am so impressed with the Slagle

The Audio Research Ref6E was in much earlier this year. It has greater depth and width than either the Incito or CH. Could be a little clinical but this one was not used much and in a secondary system - I know the dynamicaps in the ARC units take hundreds of hours to break in. It may be a bargain.

I have heard P1 extensively- and I may start another thread on that. It is impressive however, based on my priorities and whether the CH is used in current or voltage mode--- I will be keeping my partial eclipse Io in the context of the cartridges I currently use.

Next will be the Allnic L10000 which I have heard in another system here extensively as the reference preamp.

My only motivation for a preamp is to add flexibility in switching for digital and tape - I have been plugging unplugging for far too long.

More to come but I will run in to a Etsuro Gold and Dava ,hopefully, arriving in September for more trials

 

[dan31]

Any chance you gave the Aesthetix Callisto a listen in your system?

 

[Kcin]

Any chance you gave the Aesthetix Callisto a listen in your system?

I would prefer to get the Metis in , however, I think that will be impossible!

 

[DetroitVinylRob]

I would prefer to get the Metis in , however, I think that will be impossible!

Post in thread 'Aesthetix Metis Linestage'
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/aesthetix-metis-linestage.16934/post-853517