Last week, located at Audio Lifestyle Magazine office (also known as TubeLover showroom), held a Pre Amplifier Blind Test Session. If I could recall my brain correctly, we have 38 contenders, from Aikido 6SN7 Pre Amp, to antique #26/#27 Pre Amp. Well it was so nice and crowded session, from 10 am to 10 pm. Over 12 hours, 8 preliminary sessions (5 Pre Amp each) + 1 final session. I was sooo tired to judge in all those sessions (except session III where I need to receive some phone calls). We have 5 judges and some audience to pick favorite/people’s choice Pre Amp.

Enjoy some pics here. So many Pre Amp, so many design! The equipments was Consonance CD Player 2.2, Jadis Defy 7, and Tannoy Stirling full range speaker (with extra Fostex super tweeter).

From the tiny Pre Amp to a massive “dozens of tubes” Pre Amp. From small tube, to big, and miniature one!

One of the favorite. The build quality was awesome.

This was from Bandung. Almost two dozens of tubes only for Pre Amp!

Photos below are courtesy of Arif Wicaksono (TubeLover):

Judges and audience were listening the preamp one by one.

The champion. Simple tube, E182CC, but beat so many his bigger brothers!

Final photo. The session was ended around 10 pm at night. What a day!