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Welcome TIDAL to the AE Community
Tidal Preos Reference
The Tidal Preos reference phono stage is not comparable with other external phono stages or any phono stage built inside a pre-amplifier. Tidal dose not offer a classical phono preamp plus a line-level preamp inside of one box. Instead, the Preo is designed as a phono preamplifier with line level inputs, producing the most transparent, non-influenced and untouched signal control ever realized. There is a thermo control board for keeping the sensitive phono-part always on constant temperature for maximum performance. Sorry, we cannot reveal anything more specific about the phono stage, we can only say that we combined several stages into one integrated stage which reduces the influence of “component” sound to the maximum.
Any external phono stage, no matter how expensive and smartly it is designed, loses details and adds sounds to the signals after they output to the preamplifier. In all cases, the cartridge level is amplified from very sensitive milli-volts in several stages up to the typical line level. The more stages, the more influences and contamination it will be on the original signal. At the end of the day, one may like this sound or not. Some may re-interpret the music better than the others. You may prefer one interpretation over the other. The fact is that it is no longer the original music signal anymore when it was recorded and expressed by the artist. Not so with the Preos: it amplifies the signal like it is. One can hear details rarely heard before in the most natural way.
We simply don’t know of a more neutral or transparent preamp that removes itself so completely from the musical signal. All previous level adjustment technology was a bottleneck in our opinion and our intensive researches confirms this stance. As a result, we created a D/A converter relay technology with only 1 Resistor Relay (R/R) in the signal path for each individual channel. The result is an extremely advanced level adjustment consisting of over 128 relays with no cascades. The uniquely designed motor-driven potentiometer, to remotely control the volume, is chosen for no compromise in sound quality. We designed an A/D converter (powered by an autarkic power supply, galvanically separated from the audio paths) reads the position of the knob and controls the two resistors in the circuit to properly level the volume. No crack, no noise, no level jump. It took us more than one year to develop with a lot of tricks and special proprietary software written for it. Compare with other relay solutions with resistor cascades, you will definitely discern the differences. There is no more precise solution where you can hear more tails, more music and ultimately LESS TECHNOLOGY.
Preos works strictly with unbalanced inputs. Why? Balanced pre-amp design is a compromise for us. It has too many stages and it always adds a “component” sound to the music. Balanced connection have the advantages with very long interconnects from the source to the Preos, which is seldom in reality.
We set to build the Preos Reference regardless of the cost involved. We demand the Preo Reference does not add any sound of its own because the best preamp cannot be better than the source. This preamp should show what the source does – nothing more, nothing less. Please connect Preos with the best turntables and cartridges in the world as it is designed to work with the best analog components in mind, given vinyl is still the ultimate reproduction medium. A substandard source will sound bad with the Preos. Likewise, a world-class source will reward you immensely with a life like musical experience provided the rest of your components and room acoustics are up to the standard. It is all hand built and assembled with passion and precision. It is simply in a class of its own.
The Tidal Preos reference phono stage is not comparable with other external phono stages or any phono stage built inside a pre-amplifier. Tidal dose not offer a classical phono preamp plus a line-level preamp inside of one box. Instead, the Preo is designed as a phono preamplifier with line level inputs, producing the most transparent, non-influenced and untouched signal control ever realized. There is a thermo control board for keeping the sensitive phono-part always on constant temperature for maximum performance. Sorry, we cannot reveal anything more specific about the phono stage, we can only say that we combined several stages into one integrated stage which reduces the influence of “component” sound to the maximum.
Any external phono stage, no matter how expensive and smartly it is designed, loses details and adds sounds to the signals after they output to the preamplifier. In all cases, the cartridge level is amplified from very sensitive milli-volts in several stages up to the typical line level. The more stages, the more influences and contamination it will be on the original signal. At the end of the day, one may like this sound or not. Some may re-interpret the music better than the others. You may prefer one interpretation over the other. The fact is that it is no longer the original music signal anymore when it was recorded and expressed by the artist. Not so with the Preos: it amplifies the signal like it is. One can hear details rarely heard before in the most natural way.
We simply don’t know of a more neutral or transparent preamp that removes itself so completely from the musical signal. All previous level adjustment technology was a bottleneck in our opinion and our intensive researches confirms this stance. As a result, we created a D/A converter relay technology with only 1 Resistor Relay (R/R) in the signal path for each individual channel. The result is an extremely advanced level adjustment consisting of over 128 relays with no cascades. The uniquely designed motor-driven potentiometer, to remotely control the volume, is chosen for no compromise in sound quality. We designed an A/D converter (powered by an autarkic power supply, galvanically separated from the audio paths) reads the position of the knob and controls the two resistors in the circuit to properly level the volume. No crack, no noise, no level jump. It took us more than one year to develop with a lot of tricks and special proprietary software written for it. Compare with other relay solutions with resistor cascades, you will definitely discern the differences. There is no more precise solution where you can hear more tails, more music and ultimately LESS TECHNOLOGY.
Preos works strictly with unbalanced inputs. Why? Balanced pre-amp design is a compromise for us. It has too many stages and it always adds a “component” sound to the music. Balanced connection have the advantages with very long interconnects from the source to the Preos, which is seldom in reality.
We set to build the Preos Reference regardless of the cost involved. We demand the Preo Reference does not add any sound of its own because the best preamp cannot be better than the source. This preamp should show what the source does – nothing more, nothing less. Please connect Preos with the best turntables and cartridges in the world as it is designed to work with the best analog components in mind, given vinyl is still the ultimate reproduction medium. A substandard source will sound bad with the Preos. Likewise, a world-class source will reward you immensely with a life like musical experience provided the rest of your components and room acoustics are up to the standard. It is all hand built and assembled with passion and precision. It is simply in a class of its own.
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Comments
The Tidal Preos was connected to the Zanden 300B PP mono blocks last evening at 8pm. I did not listen until this morning together with PT before going back to Macao.
The whole system had warmed up for 8 hours before the "impression" session. It is something very special indeed. It is not about how does this preamp sound, but rather how does your source component sound? The "physical" insertion of the Preos Reference into the component chain feels like removing one more obstacle away from the system from the "sonic" perspective.
The amount of low level details subsequently revealed (extremely low pitch notes with recoil, rhythm, flow are naturally rendered with natural timbal color) suggests a new experience to critical listener like me. I don't care hi fi attributes but pure music perspectives. The dynamic and rendering of musical notes are surprisingly natural with vivid presence at all volume level. For the first time, I can enjoy Vienna New Year Concert at 6:00am without bothering the neighborhood. But the dynamic and the energy are all there. I tried at each turn to confirm this before I departed at 830am this morning. This is some sort of technological feat.
It does compare well to a passive preamp after chatting with PT for 15 minutes. It is just that the Preos allows all the dynamics and bass weight (bass layer and structures from the left hand side of the piano boards are amazingly real) to pass through untouched.
There is no point to discuss how the Preo Reference sound. It is a matter of how well is your source. The Schroder Reference SQ arm set up by Thomas with Jan Allaerts cartridge serving the TW Acustic Raven AC (still 1 motor) powered by a 4-year old Level One powercord by Argento going through the Tidal Preos Ref/Zanden 300B PP suggest both grace and civiization to my heart.
Jorn, you do a good job. Now I and PT understand why Tidal can match solid state electronics with Tidal speakers which only use ceramic drivers.
If one is looking for any particular sound, the Preo Ref is not for you. If you beleive you have a world class source component, and you are keen to look for the truth (I always definte truth = beauty; others may not), look no further. I concur everything Jorn has written about the Preo Ref. Thank you for Ulrik's recommendation to bring this instrument to the AE community.
J.Lam Music Nation
Tidal Impact Amplifier
The design goal of the Impact is very simple: amplifying signal, not more but not less. We want to have an amplifier which makes the long term discussion between tube sound or solid state no longer necessary. Also, we want a smart amplifier, no bigger-is-better “high end” solution with useless power consumption and heat sinking. It is not the strongest one ever, not the most heavy amp, and certainly not the most expensive – just a servant of music without coloring the sound by electronic components. The impact will amplify without any “adding of warm or cold sound and all the varieties in-between.”
The size of the Impact is the result of the perfect balance between power, stability and speed. Impact does all time stable 130, 240, 400, 600 watts at 8, 4, 2, 1 ohm respectively. It is even stable under 1 0hm. It has more than enough power to drive our flagship SUNRAY. Why don’t we build one with more power? Similarly, why don’t we build a smaller amp even though it has more than enough power to drive the Sunday to the limit? More power needs more transistors – what makes rise time slow and limit the bandwidth. Furthermore, more heat means larger heat-sinkers – more thermal distortion. Please check the Tidal at the lowest levels, mid levels and very loud levels: it never has any channel imbalance. It always has speed, dynamic and resolution.
Less power is not sensible because it will start losing sovereignty, pressure and control. We have an ultra fast and powerful amplifier which has control and grip at any level. One can compare with it with a Porsche 911GT3 sports car with flexed muscles against Ford F150 truck with huge strong big block. The lighter one is always faster, more flexible and the ability to accelerate and brake much faster and agile. The Ford truck on the other hand has the ability to pull the garden house away from the ground in a capability that one never uses frequently. I am sure reader knows the point that I am trying to make here.
The inner circuit is carefully hand selected and matched. We added 240.000 uF directly to the connectors with the shortest way to a massive gold plated copper board, centrally connected via a short copper bar directly to the wing nut outside. The power comes from two mechanically clever isolated 800watts transformers, magnetically shielded. The impact is a true dual mono block design. It is made of massive parts only and extremely stiff in torsion and resonances.
The impact uses no relay or protection circuit in the signal path. Therefore it is a bypass controller which checks DC offset, temperature and oscillation etc. This controller controls the soft-start program: after turning it on, the caps will be loaded softly step by step, each by each. This is the best for the parts inside to guarantee a very long life because it reduces the high voltage influence for the house fuses. Then, the Impact checks the input and output. If everything is right, then it turns on.
I invented a new term his morning: Nano-dynamic. The amount of low level details from the source pass through the Tidal phono section goes beyond my usual understanding of microdynamic. Does it matter to music? To some, maybe no, to other, may be yes. I cannot determine for you as everyone's preference is different.
Marvel