Hi!
Maybe my answer is coming too late...
I listened to the SE version of this tube driven preamp. It was once constructed as special edition (SE) model limited to 100 units on the occasion of a 25 year anniversary of a Germany hi-fi magazine.
I was looking for an amp to drive my transistor power amp (GamuT D100) and not to produce typical euphonic (thus colored) valve sound. Finally, I bought a HP 500SE.
Let's come to the point:
The sound is crystal clear, there is really no noise floor (-103 dB/XLR), one can "walk around the musicians". It provides a deep and a bit "moved back" soundstage. The amp does sound fast, its dynamic is tremendous (cp. noise floor ;-). Even though this description may implies that the HP 500 SE is an analytic "tool" this is definitely not the case: it sounds neither bright nor warm but just right in a sense that voices and instruments sound as they really sound: very authentic and natural. The electronic is completely faded away and the presentation of music is always in the focus. There is lots of (defined) bass energy really down the low frequency end, an agile mid-range and an unstrained high frequency rendering.
The XLR output of the HP 500 SE was necessary to drive my power amp adequately (as it sounds a bit lifeless via RCA inputs).
You should give it a try!
Best regards
Michael
Maybe my answer is coming too late...
I listened to the SE version of this tube driven preamp. It was once constructed as special edition (SE) model limited to 100 units on the occasion of a 25 year anniversary of a Germany hi-fi magazine.
I was looking for an amp to drive my transistor power amp (GamuT D100) and not to produce typical euphonic (thus colored) valve sound. Finally, I bought a HP 500SE.
Let's come to the point:
The sound is crystal clear, there is really no noise floor (-103 dB/XLR), one can "walk around the musicians". It provides a deep and a bit "moved back" soundstage. The amp does sound fast, its dynamic is tremendous (cp. noise floor ;-). Even though this description may implies that the HP 500 SE is an analytic "tool" this is definitely not the case: it sounds neither bright nor warm but just right in a sense that voices and instruments sound as they really sound: very authentic and natural. The electronic is completely faded away and the presentation of music is always in the focus. There is lots of (defined) bass energy really down the low frequency end, an agile mid-range and an unstrained high frequency rendering.
The XLR output of the HP 500 SE was necessary to drive my power amp adequately (as it sounds a bit lifeless via RCA inputs).
You should give it a try!
Best regards
Michael