here are my thoughts on the Soulution 725 Preamplifier interested in a private consultation with me? email me for further details jayaudiolab@gmail.com
@@jaysaudiolab Nice video and good info concerning your research on costs for shipping, upgrades, etc. I was surprised when you declared this preamp the best you’ve heard in your setup and it lacked the deep and wide soundstage? I was wondering what the other preamps lacked if this unit is considered your best sounding preamp so far? This is just a rhetorical statement. Thanks…
@jay's audio lab have you considered trying the Trinnov preamp? I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on that. That seems to be the pinnacle and it's way less than the preamp shown here. Thanks in advance.
Just added the Soulution 325 preamplifier to my system (Chord-SPM-1200E, B&W 802Ds, Esoteric SA-10 CD (used as a transport) & Berkeley Alpha Reference DAC ) Truly Next Level Sound!
You are absolutely right ; the 725 is an incredible good preamp. Soulution is for more than then years in my system .First the 721 +700's with Wilson Maxx 3, later after update the 725 + 701's with GamuT Zodiac speakers. A very natural souding combination. The preamp is sensitive for AC power. ( as all preamps) Best results you get with a Stromtank batteries power supply
I don't know Jay I need something that has a wide and deep sound stage. Like you are standing in the center of a live performance about on the 40 yard line. I hope that Block Audio will do that. Thanks for another video!
Jay great review Jay - so well done, thank you. Future suggestion - would love to hear the unnamed class a monos driven by the Ref 6 SE, just to see if some of that tubey magic happens along the lines of when you did the Merrill Monos with the Ref SE. Thanks for listening and you continue to help guide us audiophiles in the best possible way!
I hope you are ok Jay! You looked like you were a little under the weather/lit! You must have had a rough night! Solution 725 definitely is Top Tier in resolution and detail! I believe it would improve just about anything it is hooked up to! Stay strong Brother!
I am surprised to see Solution after past comments about the resale value of certain brands. Not to say I’m disappointed, just the opposite. Great review as always. Every time I wonder what else is left to discover, you open up new doors.
Agree….. and I have owned several high end preamps…..
6 месяцев назад
Jay, did you listen to this preamp with the program bandwidth set to LOW? I made the mistake of leaving it in HIGH and it sounded horrible. It still sounded bad in the MID setting too. Once I set in on LOW the magic started happening. There’s a lot more to this preamp than the average audiophile thinks!
Hey Jay, how are you comparing with other preamps like 2110 when the speakers, amp, and dac are all different? What method do you use to isolate the effect of the preamp and compare to what the Boulder would have sounded like in the same system?
I know you will probably scoff at me, but my new Topping D90SE DAC's preamp section sounds much more transparent then the preamp in my new Marantz Model 30 integrated amp. Less veiled with the sound stage being wide and behind the speakers as well as much more detailed. Blew me away as I would have thought the preamp in the Marantz Model 30 would have been much better. It has it's own power supply for crying out loud! But nope. After switching back and forth several times I am keep returning to the Topping DAC's preamp. And it's not a small difference either! ... I now realize that there are some amazing (and seemingly unlikely) 'gems' out there today that happen to produce unbelievable sound. If cherry picked, you can build a system today that rivals the very best at a fraction of their cost. But you need to know what to get.
The DAC, Preamp, & Amp are all about the analog output stage. Doesn't matter how great everything else is, the output stage makes or breaks an audio unit. Not saying some better parts & engineering will not affect the output stage. Just the analog output stage is the 'weak link' of an audio component. Enjoy.
Thanks Jay! Great review. Wondering what you think of the 710 power amp (if you've heard it)? How much smaller was the soundstage on this pre compared to your best other kit? Are we talking a lot or a little?
I don't think it will ever break down Swiss quality is top-notch. If you can afford this price tag you can afford the shipping cost. Would be nice to check out the power amps as well-meaning Solution pre-amp and Solution Power amp .
@@jaysaudiolab The Pre G2 is 14.500euro, complete dual mono discrete, signal+ground switching. The 725 is 42.000euro. Also audionet has integrated below 5.000euro.
Hi Jay, love the channel! Question... being you have a lot of high end equipment, how does this compare to something that is more normal priced, say a Hegel P20, 3-4k range? Is this really 20x better, like the price is? Have a hard time believing this is anything but diminishing returns at this price point. Thank you
If a DAC can drive a preamp at full line level volume, why wouldn't it be able to drive a power amp at reduced volume? If the DAC is too weak (lacking capacitance) to drive power amps, it should be too weak to drive a preamp at even higher volume, no?
@@gme10955 Not even doubting that, just questioning that the preamp's capacitance is the issue. I suppose a preamp can easily have a better volume control, for one, and buffers can change the input/output impedance for the better. Of course that alone doesn't make a preamp that expensive.
I suppose a preamp could be designed to be super easy to drive by a DAC, and then be designed so that it can easily drive any power amp... that would make sense to me as part of why it sounds better (which I'm not questioning, just want to understand why).
Could you do a full review of power cables and what they do in your system? I have a lot and I'm not sure they make that much difference (way below interconnects and speaker cables). Do you need a mega expensive system to hear the difference between power cables? Mine is £70k retail and I don't find much.
@@mikepawntee2425 I have owned Nordost Valhalla cables for years still do I also own Transparent and now tried Silnote . I could not tell the difference if you switched these cables on me or any other cable . Listening to Harold Budd right now and that's all that matters .
Doesn't make sense MSB is "missing information"; please elaborate. The MSB preamp stage has no active parts, it's completely passive. So impossible to lose info.
Usually the highest compliment reviewers give to a component, is, I liked it so much I bought it. In your case, you'd liked it so much, you sold it. I know it's part of your deal, you must move on and try new components, but don't you get tired of changing up your system every few weeks or months?
Soulution have a USA distributor in California, and the distributor has a network of authorized dealers. I find it difficult to believe the end user must bypass the local distribution channel and deal directly with the manufacturer in Switzerland for repair and not the authorized dealer, whether that be in-warranty or out-of-warranty. Assuming of course it was purchased via the authorized distribution channel. The distributor should have legal responsibility for in-warranty repair at no cost to the owner. The owner should only need to return it to the authorized dealer and nothing more. For OOW repair then yes, two-way shipping and repair charges will be the responsibility of the owner.
@@jaysaudiolab Oh, I missed that bit about it being a used item, I assumed it was new. Anyway, here in Australia we have much stronger consumer protection laws, used items continue to enjoy warranty protections.
Ive audition this from Moon Audio in England UK London Vs my 1987 Sony pre amplifier, I found it was lacking depth than my £2000 Sony. I didn't hear or missing instruments were not there on the amplifier. Big difference Vs studio music Vs audiophile. Speakers are PMC 22 with Sony SACD . Studio music is much better sounding than audiophile. You can hear hidden instruments playing on Sony, but you can't hear on this.
If 'Made is Switzerland' is a con due to shipping distances/costs...please spare a thought for us in Australia...'Made anywhere in the rest of the world' is a standard con for us 😀 Thanks for the Insights re Soulution 725.
Jay , I can make my Pre Gryphon Athena with 1.000.000 mf .. Maibe i make it .. This capacitance 500.000 mf is not all for make a impressive bass .. Or almost perfect Pre ( in sound ) .
It is very svelte in person but agree, it isn't that pretty and the bright red display reminded me of an '80s calculator when I demoed the 725. Went with the CH Precision L1, better sounding and the looks are considerably more pleasing on the eye. Quite a bit smaller than the 725 as well so looks better on the stand.
For a very few, it's money they wont even bother about. My friend is a property developer I'm Mumbai. I was out shopping with him in London. He bought a handbag for his wife for 100k plus. We had a few drinks and we forgot it in a bar! I was incredibly upset for him. He gave me a hug and said not to worry, it was destined. 100k and he didn't care one bit. And he has the most expensive kit from Pass in his home. I know Jay don't think much of Pass, but to my ears, the kit in his home was absolutely mind blowing. That guy could buy anything.
This is audio jewelry ! Just like an expensive watch ! Does it tell better time ? No but it's all about the bling . You are right that it's just recorded music and no system made has ever sounded like the studio or live performance, not even close .
