If someone was to ask you to name 10 of the top high-end audio companies, I am certain that the majority would be American. And quite rightly so, as the whole culture of the "noble sport" in which we endeavour, was developed and still promoted to the max in the USA. On the other hand, there exists a number of European companies still flying the flag for the Old World, albeit on a smaller scale. Finally, from the Far East and mainly from Japan, we have designs from small, mainly local, manufacturers but also from the giants of the electronics industry. The latter's designs are mainly exercises in applied research and displays of strength as they do not lack the funds or human resources.

However, there is still one ocket of resistance, located on the Korean peninsula, whose motive is the love of music and its faithful reproduction. Despite the fact that they have not yet made their presence felt worldwide, they offer designs capable of competing with the best in the business. One of them is Allnic, which produces handmade line stage and phono stage preamplifiers, as well as power amplifiers with exclusive use of tubes in the circuit. The name is derived from the use of nickel in the output transformers as they consider that this material’s properties are best suited to faithfully reproduce music.

The preamp being evaluated is the mid-range, L-1500 line preamplifier which is being called upon to represent the company in a difficult section of the market - defined as middle high-end, based on its price category. So, let's see if it is able to get its message through and whether it is a reliable alternative compared to the already established competition.

Article was published on: 2009-10-01

In Depth >>

A first glance leaves a positive impression as it is a design of normal size, no bigger than your average component, which means it will fit well even in limited spaces. Picking it up to place it on the rack, I was pleasantly surprised by its weight; a good first indication of quality. Taking a closer look at the front panel, it provides information on all functions, with the distinct presence of a  lighted window which indicates by the a centered needle that all is well. The needle off centre indicates a malfunction and immediate attention of technical support. Along the top is a line of yellow LEDs indicating power, the selected source and the device's operation status, with the corresponding push switches located directly below. The last one is for temporary muting the L-1500, with a corresponding change of colour in the function indicator. At the right end is the revolving volume knob which can be operated either manually or through a remote (unfortunately with an unacceptable, for the L-1500’s profile and manufacturing quality, plasticky thing by Daewoo). The front panel is made of thick brushed aluminium and the whole construction has a solid feel. The cover is of corresponding quality, a perfect fit, with a rough feel to the electrostatic paint.

At the rear we observe the inputs panel, two balanced pairs and three unbalanced, and the output ports, two balanced pairs (one is Rec Out) and one pair of unbalanced. The selection between balanced or unbalanced output is through a two position switch. I could justify the usefulness of a balanced output for a recorder in a professional environment, but in practice it could have been replaced with an additional input port; most people would find it more useful. Then we have the power-on switch and the IEC socket. The quality of the materials is exceptional, further promoting the positive impression.

Looking inside, the layout is exceptionally tidy. Everything is well put together. The amount of solder used is correct, the length of the cables is just what is needed and porperly placed in order to be easily accessible. Very neatly placed and out of harm's way with an active element. Lest not forget that everything is hand-assembled. It uses tubes as active elements (NOS, Mullard and GE). The set is comprised of  two D3a or their equivalent, in our case the Mullard E810F, one 7233 and one 6485 by General Electric. Absorb GEL Tube Damper, a company patent, is used on the base plate to avoid microphonic effects and any vibrations which may cause a problem during reproduction. The two main design points of the circuit are that it uses a tube both for current stabilisation as well as for the output, so we're talking about a thoroughbred tube design. Based on the manufacturer’s claims,  this ensures better supply to the pre-amplification circuit, the necessary watts to drive it correctly and to function uninterruptedly, as well as an exceptionally wide range of frequencies (16 Hz -75 kHz at -3 db) and optimum drive of any power amp connected, in tandem with its low output impedance (150Ω). The quality of the materials used  is excellent, something which we witnessed on the outside as well.

To protect the power amp and speakers, after it is turned on,  it mutes for 40 seconds before the output stage is activated in order to avoid any collateral damage in the event of material malfunction. If a problem arises, the user can observe it through the external function window, so there is the possibility of a manual intervention in order to avoid damage.

The attenuator is designed by the company and is driven by an oiled clutch motor with gears that determine the gain. Based on the manufacturer's claims, operational tolerance is exceptional since there is no loss of signal between the two channels.

The transformers are covered by an external casing the same colour as the cover, contributing even more to the excellent inside view. They have no markings on them but I presume that they are either manufactured in-house or outsourced under the close supervision of the company.
But enough said. As necessary a description is, it is definitely less interesting than the main issue, the listening session. So let us proceed to the core of the matter.

Article was published on: 2009-10-01

Listening >>

The L-1500 was used in both listening setups , in the main setup driving the Pass X 350.5 power amp, and in the secondary setup the Focal Solo6 Be active speakers. Especially in the second case it highlighted the fullness of the particular speaker, which despite originating from the professional arena, is an exceptional suggestion for a budget high-end listening system. However, let's put things in order by beginning with the main setup.

After the break-in period, as it lacked operating time, and testing interconnect cables (always balanced), the listening session began. The program was varied as always (a list can be found with the rest of the details of the audition set up).

To begin with, the general impression is that this is a high-end device which comfortably overlaps its price category. I would even say that it is on a par with much more expensive designs. It has exceptional transparency, excellent integration of the whole frequency spectrum and especially attractive consistency with complete control and in-depth reflection of the music stage. Its sound is especially dynamic. It has none of the sweetness and "loose" feeling so often encountered in most thoroughbred tube designs, but on the other hand it does not skip on musicality and "calmness" which are usually attributed to them. It reproduces every minute detail with exceptional air surrounding the contributors to each piece. Their placement on the stage was reminiscent of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, where thousands of volunteers provided a magnificently accurate and well synchronized spectacle. It does not interfere with the result, it just reproduces the effort behind the event. All with a dynamic rendering which is attractive and creates a three-dimensional sense of the proceedings. The depiction of dynamics,either micro or macro, as you may have guessed, take centre stage especially in their interchanging. There are no "loose"  ends to the damping of the lower frequencies; a problem which appears in most tube designs which opt to promote the mid-range. The liquidity of the vocals is excellent, as well that of  of the brass wind instruments. The air in the high frequencies lets the music breathe. The correct rendition of the middle frequencies combined with the extent of the lows provides an exceptional rhythm and helps to recreate a faithful illusion. Depending on the recording, the stage is excellently portrayed (the Kharma,soundstage champions, contributed in this area, while in the same area the preamp helped the Focals display their virtues). The stage takes up the virtual level defined between the two speakers at a distance equal to the first five rows of a concert hall. It is direct and multilayered.

Particularly revealing was the result in a high-resolution program (mainly by Linn Records) through the Benchmark DAC1 USB (the only converter in hand which accepted a 24/96 signal from a computer) as well as with the various SACDs I reproduced through the Emm Labs CDSA SE. Clearly, this material is the shape of things to come. Vinyl is still holding its own, especially through top-end designs, but when it comes to ease of use, material management and storage, high-resolution material is a one-way street as we don't all have infinite space for our hobby. Combined with the ever improving software and the quality of recordings on a studio-master level, I believe it is the way of our future.

As I mentioned before, when I connected the L-1500 to the secondary setup I was able to fully evaluate the two elements that comprise it. The Focal Solo6 and the Grace Design m902 converter. As for the speakers, it highlighted their exceptional analysis and transparency in the mid to high frequencies combined with exceptional volume and size in the lows, at the same time driving them properly due to its high gain. As for the converter, relieving it from pre-amp duties that it fulfils at the same time as converting bits, it certified its top class showcasing its musicality and accuracy. If I didn't know its professional origins, I would have characterized it as a high-end design.

Just a few words of advice for a smooth operation: 1) as the manufacturer states, proper ventilation is imperative due to the heat generated by the tubes (although I did not observe worrying temperatures at any time of the test), 2) use good quality damping accessories (I had great results with the Daruma),  3) a good power cable always is of assistance (it worked slightly better with the Kimber PK-14) and, finally, 4) choose a good and neutrally balanced interconnect-as long as your setup supports it (a very good and cheap choice is the Empirical Design Inter 422X ).

Article was published on: 2009-10-01

Conclusion >>

I think that the established manufacturers have every reason to be worried by this small gem from the Far East. Excellently manufactured, the L-1500 can look up to much more expensive designs right in the eye. Despite lacking the "weight" of a brand name, those in the know would do well to add it to their shortlist of choices. They will be pleasantly surprised and may start to doubt the various stereotypes that for years have been relying on their good public relations network. Combined with its affordable price, it could easily find its way at the epicenter of a high-end system.
Highly recommended!

Christos Tsiatis

email: ct@abouthifi.com

Article was published on: 2009-10-01