 Analog Magic Housed in Audio Research's PH5 Phono Preamplifier
It’s analog magic in a box. Really, it’s that good. I
just cracked mine out of the box yesterday and began installing the
tubes while poking around the inside to see what parts ARC is using and
how the circuit has changed from previous models. In this case, it
looked pretty simple and low key in a way that scared me a little bit. I
was hoping to see rows of exotic capacitors and transformers the size of
lunch boxes, but everything looked small and simple. Now that could be a
good thing because small and simple can also mean pure and transparent.
So I put the top back on and carried it upstairs for a test run.
Holy ?!#$…this thing is incredible! I don’t remember being this blown away by a brand new,
un-broken-in, component in a very long time. Maybe never. This baby is a
killer. The music emerges from a velvety black background that will make
even the lead out groove sound good. It’s amazing to hear music emerge
from such a perfect canvas, and I don’t mean that bogus, bad power
conditioner kind of black background that makes you think someone just
sucked all of the air out of the room. This is beautiful silence. My
trusty PH3SE was really good, but the music didn’t come from a place as
pretty as this. The PH5 also sounds much more immediate and transparent.
It seems like there is way less electronic handling of the signal. Music
pours effortlessly from the speakers in a way that puts you instantly at
ease. But the sound is cleaner, clearer and more detailed than ever
before. I dare say that from the deepest bass to the very highest
treble, the sound is nearly perfect. The only thing that keeps this gem
from actually being a REF Phono Preamplifier is that the REF has
a power supply the size of Kansas, which gives you explosive,
mind-numbing dynamics that no traditional phono preamp can equal. But I
know that at $1,995 I can live with the nearly perfect and eminently
musical PH5 and not look back.
-Dave Mitchell |
