Price Paid:  $1350.00 from Ebay

Summary:
A wonderful Class A sounding preamp. that also has looks, facilities, remote, 7 inputs and twin outputs, both balanced and un balanced. Also input no 1 is balanced.

In my setup, it replaced a Musical Fidelity NuVista.

The two preamps. were very similar in the midrange, with crisp airy and very well defined imaging but, the PCA 2 was far superior in both ends of the spectrum, lower and better defined bass and richer treble, without any hardness.

The best quality of this preamp. is its ability to separate notes and instruments in the mix, giving the listener a very precise sonic picture of a good recording.

It has great facilities like adjustable input gain so when selecting different inputs you get the same volume.

Also, the phase inverter is handy as well as the electronic balance control and the dimming of the display.

The volume control is an absolute joy to use and the remote is small and has all the functions the user needs.

And just to top it up,, there's a very high quality h/phone amplifier inbuild ( not just a chip) as most manufacturers do, but a dedicated amp. that gives the same great audio quality if the user decides to listen through h/phones.

I drive the matching HCA 2 power amplifier with it and the final sound is exceptional.

If you value great detail, air, space and great depth in your sound, this is a preamp. you better listen to.

I often wonder, is ti getting any better than this?

Strengths:

Wonderful sense of space, depth and air.

Very rich tonally, fast bass and silky smooth but crisp treble.

High definition at it's very best!

Great looks and build qualtiy, looks more expensive that it is.

Weaknesses:

Can't fault it, either sonically or mechanically.

Almost the perfect product.

Similar Products Used:
Meridian 501

Musical Fidelity Nu Vista hybrid Class A

Audio Research LS 2

Creek OBH 12 passive

tlea

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Dealer demo

Summary:
By comparison with my previous preamp, McCormack TLC-1, the PCA-2 is very crisp and precise, with a wider dynamic range. So far (after about 100 hours) it does not seem to have the transparancy and smoothness of the TLC-1. However, it is more musical, with extended treble and deeper bass. It especially shines on music with complex instrumentation, such as big-band jazz or prog rock. The imaging and definition are astounding: each instrument can be heard distinctly in the mix. This unit has the optional inboard phono card, and it is a marked improvement over my Creek phono preamp. My value rating is based on the price I paid, which was less than half the list price including the phono option.

Strengths:
Wide dynamic range; excellent imaging and precision; good build quality, smooth volume control; easy setup and interface; adjustable gain on each input; simple, straightforward remote

Weaknesses:
None really. It does lend some coloration to the music, which some may consider to be a weakness.

Similar Products Used:
McCormack; Parasound; NAD; Creek

Dalek

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2000.00

Summary:
I have had this preamp for about a week now and could not wait to post a review. After about one hundred hours of run it this is the best sounding preamp i have had. Very open mid and high powerful bass.

Strengths:
Very user friendly buld quality very good

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Proceed AVP2 Audio Research SP16 B&K ref50