The Truth Pre Amp Review

[Inner Space]

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, has anybody here read this dreck?

To be fair, it says this model is better than the last. Could be true, technically.

 

[Deleted member 26571]

Masquerading as high art?? You guys have no who you are talking about or the community this was designed for. Too much time on your hands.

I'm genuinely curious what you mean. Can you elaborate? Thanks.

 

[maverickronin]

At least in the US which uses 120V, touching a live wire is more of a personal annoyance to me than a death sentence. Of course YMMV.

Yep. Here in North America (and Japan too) we have Baby's First Mains Voltage.

 

[richard12511]

These reviews are far more entertaining than the product. This paragraph is epic:

“When replacing an active line stage with The Truth, you will lose the coloration of that specific component (this can be a good or bad thing), but you will almost certainly gain sharper transients and leading edge; greater intelligibility; vividness; spatial impression; emotional mobility and a sense of appropriateness with regards to the distribution of sound, as it relates to intonation, rhythm, dynamics, etc.”

I have never heard of “emotional mobility” and “sense of appropriateness” being used to describe the sound of a component. This is just on a whole different level of BS.

I think I'm gonna have to add "emotional mobility" to my vocabulary of audio descriptors.

 

[dfuller]

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, has anybody here read this dreck?

I hadn't, and regret doing so now. Jesus christ, what the hell did I just read?

 

[Jmudrick]

I'm genuinely curious what you mean. Can you elaborate? Thanks.

As I previously posted, Ed's customers when this was developed in 2010 were primarily owners of his single Fostex driver horn speakers, using low power tube amps and phono preamps to mate with a preamplifier such as the Truth. Measurements you can be sure were not of primary importance for the community looking at this unit, nor I'm guessing were the cosmetics (his Horns could best be described as utilitarian and I couldn't have cared less at the time I purchased one when it was first released). Ed's speakers, if you read the Stereophile review and measurements, didn't measure magnificently (not badly mind you), were pretty pain looking (built I presume in his garage), but had a pretty good following among users and critics who liked the way they sounded and appreciated their ability to be driven by a couple of watts of new or old tube gear. HIgh art, whatever that means and claims about the best measurements were never part of Ed's pitch nor of paramount concern to his customers.

I'm not dismissing all the criticism of the unit's topology, I was frustrated by the balance issues which required a lot of fiddling now and then. All pretty irrelevant, I don't know that many of these units are still in use or sold given how most us are listening to digital systems with little need for a unit like this one.

 

[manisandher]

To be fair, it says this model is better than the last. Could be true, technically.

No.

The review says "... their respective circuits and parts are exactly the same".

The only difference between the latest model and the previous is the SUT on one input giving 6dB of gain. The whole review revolves around whether the SUT input sounds different from the non-SUT input. The conclusion is, "SUT input was still almost indistinguishable from Input #2 Direct".

Mani.

 

[LTig]

First - Wikipedia is being quoted. The source anyone can edit. The country whose laws I am asking about is the United States. Coincidentally this is also where the preamp in question is built and sold. I seriously doubt it is against the law if this type of product were to be made without the chassis grounded. Why would I say that? Well I have owned 3 different pairs of tube monoblock amplifiers that did not have the chassis grounded to earth. Modern commercial amps. All the folks that are condemning this over safety appear to be focused on the ground lift. So here is the question - if the switch is never operated or simply removed and replaced by a ground wire do the safety concerns disappear?

1. I'm in the EU, and the Horne shoppe sells outside the US as well, so the preamp must adhere to the legal requirements of the state it's sold to.
2. Devices with metal housings without ground connection are both safe and legal if they adhere to the requirements of Class II appliances.
3. If the switch is removed no one would complain about safety. But it isn't.

I really don't understand why you insist on safety being 2nd place in audio devices.

 

[manisandher]

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, has anybody here read this dreck?

In his original review, Arthur Salvatore states, "The Truth is the most difficult component I've ever had to describe. It's like it isn't even there..."

Listening to the audio files I linked to earlier shows that the Truth very much "is there".

Edit: forgot to post these gems from the review. Enjoy!:

"The Truth" is the most immediate, cleanest, fastest and transparent electronic component I've ever heard. These are the first qualities I observed during the initial listening audition.

"The Truth" has the lowest sound-floor of any electronic component I've heard. It has longer decays, a greater sense and feel of the recording space and it also reveals previously hidden subtle dynamic inflections.

"The Truth" has the most extended frequency extremes.

"The Truth" is also the most natural and neutral electronic component in my experience. Anyone who thinks "natural" is strictly "relative" hasn't heard "The Truth". This almost extreme sense of naturalness is present in the entire frequency range.

"The Truth's" electronic character is amazing small and so are the corresponding colorations. It even matches the finest purely passive components, like the EMIA, in this area. Because of this, "The Truth" exposes electronic colorations that I have considered "normal" in the past.

"The Truth" is the most dynamic line stage I've heard, with a convincing and uninhibited quality I've never experienced before, continually surprising me even with music I am overly familiar with. It is so dynamic, that what was considered the normal volume level may have to be changed.

"The Truth" is also the most detailed, individualized and least homogenized line stage I've heard. Example- Lyrics almost always become more intelligible with "The Truth".

The soundstage of "The Truth" is not larger than the other top line stages I've heard, but it does have superior focus and separation.

The bass reproduction of "The Truth" deserves special attention. It is simply state of the art in extension, control, texture, linearity, detail and primal force.

Mani.

 

[manisandher]

Sorry, I can't resist:

"The Truth" facilitates a direct human connection to the music and/or recording, to a greater degree, than anything else I've heard.

Mani.

 

[Bob from Florida]

1. I'm in the EU, and the Horne shoppe sells outside the US as well, so the preamp must adhere to the legal requirements of the state it's sold to.
2. Devices with metal housings without ground connection are both safe and legal if they adhere to the requirements of Class II appliances.
3. If the switch is removed no one would complain about safety. But it isn't.

I really don't understand why you insist on safety being 2nd place in audio devices.

Voicing my opinion about the Truth's ground lift switch not being a "big deal" does not mean I am not in favor of safe designs. Don't put words in my mouth! I also said I would have done it differently with an external wall wart. The only reason I posted anything was a sincere lack of respect for the "piling on" of condemnations of the builder and individuals purchasing it. More than one responder flatly stated it was deserving of ridicule.
Let me illustrate it another way. When I ask for proof of sweeping statements - how is that different from the objectivists asking the subjectivists for the results of the double blind tests supporting their claims? Stating an opinion is "okay", but when an opinion is presented as "fact" it is a problem - in my opinion.

 

[Bob from Florida]

As I previously posted, Ed's customers when this was developed in 2010 were primarily owners of his single Fostex driver horn speakers, using low power tube amps and phono preamps to mate with a preamplifier such as the Truth. Measurements you can be sure were not of primary importance for the community looking at this unit, nor I'm guessing were the cosmetics (his Horns could best be described as utilitarian and I couldn't have cared less at the time I purchased one when it was first released). Ed's speakers, if you read the Stereophile review and measurements, didn't measure magnificently (not badly mind you), were pretty pain looking (built I presume in his garage), but had a pretty good following among users and critics who liked the way they sounded and appreciated their ability to be driven by a couple of watts of new or old tube gear. HIgh art, whatever that means and claims about the best measurements were never part of Ed's pitch nor of paramount concern to his customers.

I'm not dismissing all the criticism of the unit's topology, I was frustrated by the balance issues which required a lot of fiddling now and then. All pretty irrelevant, I don't know that many of these units are still in use or sold given how most us are listening to digital systems with little need for a unit like this one.

I met Ed a number of years ago and listened to the Horns he was making at the time. You are very correct - in my opinion - about some of the folks here having any understanding of what Horn Shoppe products are about.
I suspect few of those critical have actually designed, built, and sold a product.

 

[sergeauckland]

I met Ed a number of years ago and listened to the Horns he was making at the time. You are very correct - in my opinion - about some of the folks here having any understanding of what Horn Shoppe products are about.
I suspect few of those critical have actually designed, built, and sold a product.

I've done all three, and except for perhaps a lab prototype (which in any event would still be safe), I can't say anything like The Truth would ever get into production. What Quality Control was ever exercised by the builder, what technical standards were adhered to is impossible to say.

S.

 

[solderdude]

I suspect few of those critical have actually designed, built, and sold a product.

Raises hand too, guilty as charged on all 3 counts.

The 'product' is an overpriced abomination (build quality, in my eyes) that functions as an effect box and that's the truth.
It performs poorly too but can understand selling 'effect boxes' (guilty of designing and selling those too).
I never ripped off anyone in this process though, which aside from the build/design is a 'thing' too.

The man may be a very nice and helpful guy that enjoys music 'reproduction'.

 

[Colonel7]

I suspect few of those critical have actually designed, built, and sold a product.

On the contrary bc they'll be even more critical, but it is in fact irrelevant. Just as having met the person before is to the end-product. The design is poor and unsafe. It's shortcomings are in the audible range. Fit and finish are poor to put it charitably.

In another industry (restaurants and chefs), you see this deflection trotted out when something fails miserably and objectively: the claim that only chefs can critique and people just don't "understand" [NOT!]. It's attacking customers and potential customers for pointing out the obvious.

 

[Doodski]

Voicing my opinion about the Truth's ground lift switch not being a "big deal" does not mean I am not in favor of safe designs. Don't put words in my mouth! I also said I would have done it differently with an external wall wart. The only reason I posted anything was a sincere lack of respect for the "piling on" of condemnations of the builder and individuals purchasing it. More than one responder flatly stated it was deserving of ridicule.
Let me illustrate it another way. When I ask for proof of sweeping statements - how is that different from the objectivists asking the subjectivists for the results of the double blind tests supporting their claims? Stating an opinion is "okay", but when an opinion is presented as "fact" it is a problem - in my opinion.

When the QA/QC of a product is so poor and lacking like this "Truth" the brashness of commentary is to be expected. I am shocked each time I see pics of the inside and front and rear panels. This product gets a failing grade on all accounts.

 

[AudioSceptic]

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, has anybody here read this dreck?

One of the greatest collections of f**kwittery to be found anywhere.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I suspect few of those critical have actually designed, built, and sold a product.

So, if I haven't built a car myself, I can't criticise a car or its maker?

 

[Bob from Florida]

So, if I haven't built a car myself, I can't criticise a car or its maker?

I believe you are missing the point. Designing even simple stuff, building, and selling is not easy. Ultimately the market decides by buying whether it is successful. Not wanting one is okay - just as okay as wanting one.
I am skeptical of automatic claims of audible distortion in a given device. Measured distortion levels below our perception should make no audible difference. Sounds like a candidate for some blind testing to see what percentage of the time differences are heard or not heard.

 

[solderdude]

Sounds like a candidate for some blind testing to see what percentage of the time differences are heard or not heard.

See this post from @manisandher