As there were more then notable interest about the The Bespoke Audio Ultimate Silver preamplifier, I’ve just finished the second part of the upcoming review. You can read the first part here.
Can a high end audio product be a reward and a gift? More then just a mere commodity?
Like luxury high-end mechanical watch, The Bespoke Audio company product represent something more then just conformist approach. Although I do love mechanical feel of the volume turning, that brings similar shivers associated with my fascination of the ticking of mechanical watches, there’s much more fascination going on.
Many will question such bespoke product, even before coming to the actual sound performance, then again, market shows, how luxury watches, sports cars, bespoke tailoring and other luxurious products never went away, despite the sudden market shift over the past century.
THE GAIN MIRACLE
Theoretically, removing all the complexity and ascending down to the miracle of the single note reveals the perplexed universe of its own. Similar to the world of physics, with music’s reproduction we’re discovering smaller constitutional parts, that coexist and react in intriguing intimate relationships. They’re unavoidable part of what’s forming the viable and believable illusory experience.
This phenomena, perhaps more then any other process of high-end audio reproduction is undeniably connected with the gain. Even lurking at the idea opens up many different, possible paths, that can be too quickly exploited in so many ways. As witnessed in past decade, a lot of product focuses onto particular agendas, rather then on constitutional attributes.
Proper dealings of the gain reflect directly into realism and sense of the being there. This is what Harry, Lucy and Andrew had in mind from the ground up.
The Bespoke Audio Company preamplifier sole raison d’etre is purity. The gain transfer happens in “analog” way, where the musical flow act as energy transfer similar to the watch escapement (impulse action) transfer of energy to the timekeeping element or the way that car’s gear box operate.
The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier 48 steps’ offer an immersive and utmost needed range. I cannot stress enough how important proper gain structure is. Of course, its completely system dependable, but as with the (oversimplified) each album (or song) volume, each system demands the optimum gain level where everything correlates and where music can find its structural behavioral objective spot/place. This is what I call minimum zen zone or gain g-spot. It’s a juxtaposition of music flow energy and attenuation synergy in absence of own preamplifier own imprint.
Take for an example enchanting Vlatko Stefanovski/Miroslav Tadić – Live in Belgrade. This is one of the albums where The Bespoke Audio Company virtues can be instantly discovered and cherished. I’ve wrote down in my notes: “Wait a minute… This is how guitar should sound like!” Heck yes!
The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier translucent nature combined with full silver wiring brings something uniquely different. That was even more vividly evident with a system cabling swap. Quite a far out and eye/ere opening experience.
The Bespoke Audio Company preamplifier ambiguous reaction to the audio cable swapping was a wake up call. While you’ll might think (as I did), that a slight warm touch of the cable character (they all do act as EQs) will benefit the preamplifier ’s nature, the result was contrary and a complete surprise. Any introducing of even the slightest vibrancy corresponded more with the cable’s nature then with the preamp’s own.
Let me try to elaborate a bit more, so its won’t be lost in the translation… Even slightest, quark like level sonic accent is recognized by the Bespoke preamplifier. This is a major discover in my book of audio challenges, that actually puts The Bespoke Audio preamplifier onto the very unique throne. Rather then introducing its own DNA it acts like chameleon, following the traits of either signal or cable nature.
On theoretical level this might come as most logical thing. In reality, most if not 99% of the preamplifiers will lock and glue themselves to the cable sonic signature with much of its own “scent”. The Bespoke Audio preamplifier in completely opposite way de-masks itself from the signal with what it felt like non traceable signature. This is the DNA of passive preamplifiers.
While preamplifier is fully silver braided, as a rule, silver (as conductor material) will introduce from ground up the major transparency impact. Combine this with translucency of the passive preamplifier and even at theoretical level you might find yourself in a brittle shock.
Luckily that is not the story with The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier. Day by day, I’m witnessing slow morphing phase of the sound. Surely, I’m opening pandora box here. Still… This particular approach and execution might demands not only hundred, but one thousand hour mark of real music material being served through the silver veins to come to the 100% optimum plane. Then again; despite different claims from manufacturers any modern capacitor or complex cable starts showing its real nature after 800+ hours of music replay. Not pink noise, not white noise. The music!
The sheer Bespoke’s “character” or better to say the the lack of it will be appreciated from the first few notes, yet gradually as my listening notes are showing, the changes appears in many ways. One of them is much lower listening levels with micro/macro details floating around in what might briefly feel like superabundant foliage, but its actually a natural, effervescent reality.
SUM UP
The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier is for sure A luxuriant product, that should be taken/seen as a lifelong investment.
From longevity side, Literary nothing can go wrong under the hood, expect the volume motor might stop working at one point. You can still can use it with hands on operation or claim your life time warranty repair, that comes with the package.
The Bespoke Audio preamplifier is for sure not for everyone and every system. This particular full silver 6dB version paired seamlessly with my MSB SELECT DAC. This combination introduced something very different, that bring digital replay in my system to the completely new level. Intriguingly, it feels, that turntable based front end pushes this even further, but I’ll have to dedicate more time to this to call it objective.
There were so much energy momentum going on many times. Especially at late night listing hours I’ve found myself checking whats strange phenomena was happening in the house. Yet I’ve found repeatedly, how atmospheric informations coming from the listening was guilty of charge.
Those of you following my writings might remember the auditory cues analogy. Not only the right amount, but the needed density are mandatory for portraying of the believable illusory experience, that our psychoacoustic “logical board” can decipher in the fullest scope. The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier seems to handle the both density and cues in its very own way, letting me wonder about many things.
“If people can’t tell margarine from butter, give them butter”
This is exactly how I’ve felt after few prolonged listening sessions :). I’ll need more time to go deeper into this, but above quote of British journalist Malcom Muggeridge sums this installment and my excitement with The Bespoke Audio Company ultimate silver preamplifier perfectly…
Yes, after some time you’ll only want to take the unaltered butter!
Matej Isak