Anyone heard the Audible Illusions L2?

The L2 is a brand new product that just started shipping in late February of 03. I know this because I waited just about a year to get mine and have one of the first 10 production units. Any frustration I may have had getting my unit was forgotten after 15 minutes of listening. If you haven't heard this unit you need to. I am a long time AI owner going back to the M2. The new L2 is so far superior to the M3a it's scary. If you remember, the Modulas 3a has been on the Stereophile A list for years. In addition virtually every reviewer worth his salt has designated it as reference class.

The detail, bass extension and sound stage will rock your world. Female vocals are heaven; strings are so detailed you’ll have to look down at your hands to make sure you’re not the one playing. Of course the L2 does not have a built in phono section but if a line stage amp is what you're after I challenge anyone at any price to show me a better sounding pre-amp.

Cspence, thanks for the response. I didn't realize they just started shipping. I currently own a Rogue 99 Magnum. However, the remote is a bit frustrating. It's hard to find a precise listening level at low volumes. How do you like the remote? Can you compare the sound to the Rogue? I used to own an Audible Illusions L1 and remember liking it but it was my first tube product so it might have seemed better than it was. Thanks.

I couldn't agree with CSpence more. If there is one word that I will describe the L2, it's AWESOME.

I ordered my L2 from Elliot of Acoustic Image, Studio City, California (a great audiophile who provides customer service second to none) last Jan 2002. I finally got my L2 last week, April 12, to be exact. During this long waiting time, I've been tempted to buy another brand but Elliot convinced me that for the money I'm willing to spend, I couldn't find another pre-amp that would even come close to an Audible Illusions' product. And I'm glad I listened to him. The waiting of more than one year is definitely worth it. Now here's a Dealer whose main purpose in life is not just to make a living, but more importantly to be able to share the joy of enjoying music without getting a second mortgage on your house. He could just have as easily sold me another product brand.

I've just recently purchased a BAT VK75 Power Amp and as soon as I hooked up the L2, I know I've got something really special. However, the greatest surprise came when I hooked it up to my Mesa Baron Power Amp which I've owned since 1996. I've driven my Baron with the Sonic Frontiers Line 3, VTL 5.5 and even with the AI M3A Pre-amps. But let me tell you, I've never heard my Baron sing and boogie the way it did until the L2 came along. Yes, the detail, bass slam and soundstage are definitely AWESOME. I listen to a lot of guitars (Peter White, Govi, Armik, Chris Spheeris, Robert Michaels, Benedetti & Svoboda, Shahin & Sepehr, etc...) and vocals (like Diana Krall, Nora Jones, James Taylor, Jennifer Warnes, Eagles, etc.....). Listening to their music via the L2 is like having them in your listening room.

And yes, I agree with CSpence, with a line level input, the L2 will outplay the M3A. Maybe it's the power supply. If I'm not mistaken the M3A and the L2 share the same power supply. So perhaps in the case of the L2, the power supply doesn't have the extra load that it has to suppply the phono section of the M3A.

If the L2 doesn't make it to Stereophile's and Absolute Sound's "A" list, I would be totally shocked.

With a list price of $2495.00, you can't go wrong......

Happy Listening

A.I. regrets that we were unable to release this product sooner. Problems with the remote control circuitry required a complete redesign. Your patience and kind remarks are deeply appreciated.
Regards, Jerry Cusmano, service tech.

To: Jimmymac

In answer to you question regarding the remote. To be honest I programmed the functions into my Marantz RC2000. What little time I spent with the AI remote was positive. It seems to work from quite far away and from extreme angles. It's a very basic unit volume an mute which is all I need.

As for sound comparisons, I haven't heard the Rogue, but I have compared it to AR, Conrad Johnson, Krell and Levinson and I wouldn't trade it for any of them. I bought my first AI in around 85. It was an affordable entry in to tubes. A this point in my life price is less an object. Frankly I would have paid 3 times the $2495. It's that good. I have very reveling system, AR VT-100 MKIII, Martin Logan SL3s and Meridian 508/28. None of the other pre-amps I tried could bring the music to life like the AI L2 does. If by some miracle you can find a dealer that will loan you one I promise you'll never bring it back.

I have had my L-2 in my system for a few months, I previously owned an L-1. My system consists of the L-2, an Adcom GFP-750, and a Legacy Hi Current (slimline) preamp. A Pass Labs Aleph 5, A C-J MV-60 And an Eagle 4 power amps. Speakers are Triangle Lyrr 222's. Well recorded vocals, strings and woodwinds are so lifelike that it's startling. the bass (to 40hz or so) is tight detailed and powerful. A plucked string bass has a good woody thunk and you can hear the strings if the recording allows! Cymbals and vibes are also very good. I haven't heard every preamp out there, but I've owned or auditioned quite a few and I doubt that there is a better one out there period. ggrimes7@attbi.com

The L2 is a great sounding line level, I bought mine from Galen Carol expecting it to sound better than my last M3A but it really shocked me off, great detail, bass and soundstage (all in a very sweet abience). It was worth the wait (four months). A frien of mine has a BAT VK-5i wich costs three times the l2 and liked mine better.
I would also like to thank Mr. Art Ferris who took care himself of a little problem my unit had, showing concern of great service also.
I hope this can help you decide in choosing one of the best preamps regarding of price.

Just got mine in. L-2 WWheehehehehewww!!! no, I know that's not descriptive enough . . . but you get the idea.
O.K here's what I've experienced so far, toying around with it a little bit.also please keep in consideration that all these type of high end devices sound better after some couple of hundred hours of brake-in.
Mine just got hooked up last saturday and running background music about 8 hours a day for 4 days.

L-2 hooked up to Aragon, WOW!!!! Bass extension is smooth, with excellent pressence, good slam . . . lots of slam!!
(Reminds me of a Threshold T series preamp I used to own)
Top end very silky, smooth, as I never experienced before from the Aragon Amplifiers (not famous for its silky top end . . . .)

Import amplifiers need a bigger input load, tried something different, and also brought out the best of these little amplifiers.

Midrange bloom is first rate surpassing easily some of the Best tubed and transistor competition.
Low frequency control and extrension are different on both amps, but the midrange . . . . so seductive on female voices Diana Krall came back to my living room and she looks good too!!
Ana Caram Came to life as her smile just beams (to use Diana's terms . . .)
A recording from RR Jim Brock (Palm Palm Girls) is so rich in textures and harmony so alive . . .
Also if you listen to Checkfield, Echoes of ancient battles, the bag pipes closing in made the hair i the back of my neck electrify and stand-out.
If you want a real test run a CHesky test disk and you'll see (I mean really see with this L-2 piece).
Very sensitive to interconnect cable choice.

Seems to like the Kimbers better than Monster, Audience, and MIT.
(I have them all here, wanna buy some used cables??)
Silver KCAG puts a special sheen to the performance, Select 1021 from Kimber seems to bring the best recreation of recording ambiance especially front to back depth perception is really good, it seems to recreate the recording environment better, the price is that it is not as incisive as the KCAG.
It really depends upon your system, how revealing and how sharp the top end will be.

Width I noticed is highly dependant on room and speaker and a combination of them.

In my opinion the L-2 is definetely a winner in 2 channel.
I know as a consumer one could spend two or three times that amount in a preamp to get this type of quality, but to get a set of qualities and the sound . . . this is got to be the best deal on the market right now.

Good luck

Gonzalo