Audible Illusions Preamp

He builds a good Product and Id buy another unit.

Be careful with the promised shipping times

@hiend2 I’m not doubting anyone’s horror stories about the delays, I’m just adding that my own personal experiences were different. Maybe he just likes me because I’m and old codger and I told him in no uncertain terms I wanted to be certain that his dates were reliable because if I died before the new preamp arrived, my kids and grandkids wouldn’t know what to do with it (which made him laugh out loud).

I once owned the original Modulus..... a model prior to the Modulus 1.   WAAY back a long time ago (circa 1981-ish).

So, has anyone compared on how these vintage designs compare to more modern designs in the $1000 to $1500 price range?   It seems like tube design hasn't moved THAT much forward.... unless you go and spend $20,000 to $50,000 on an amplifier, which is quite a frequent option today.  (Anything is good if built to that price LOL.)

The horror stories about art and his delays are real-

His units are fairly simple proven no feedback circuits that run the tubes hard.

So if you are a tube roller look elsewhere. Really

Read absolute sounds review of a new L3A. These are good preamps.

Ive worked my way up the line for 20+ years never had a single issue with any of them.

Yeah, I’ve heard a lot of the stories about horrendous repair turnaround , and have no reason to doubt them. Maybe I’ve been lucky in that my units have never required repair. Ive had excellent results in both sound and longevity with the Russian tubes recommended, as well as Tungsram and Siemans NOS ones. And yes, Art can be either a bit cranky or pretty fun to talk to.:)

Nice @laginz - glad I’m not the only one who still thinks there’s something special about these preamps and avoided the “I’ll dump on ________ because it will make me sound sophisticated“ syndrome that has infested the internet! I only sold my 3A (which I had for ~17 years) when I got in a lather after one of my VTL amps blew up (again), precipitously decided I’d had enough with tubes for a while, and bought a (very nice) Plinius Hautonga integrated in order to downsize the whole rig. Well, that didn’t last long, so I bought a used L2B and an S-120 amp as a set (I’m still done with tube amplifiers). After about 2 years the backlights started acting up on the L2B, and when I called Art about getting it fixed, I also asked about updating the power supply. Turns out they don’t do updates but, rather, sell you a brand new unit at a very substantial discount (a la Lyra), so I went for it, and I’m glad I did. I know there are some circuit changes, but I primarily attribute the improvements of the 3B over the 2B to the beefier power supply, and the difference is not subtle (and I know it’s not attributable to new tubes vs old, because I’m using the same set of tubes in the new amp that were in the old one). I used the oem Russian tubes for break in, then put them away for a rainy day.

NB: I want to correct one thing in my previous post, but I can’t edit because it’s more than 30 minutes old. My addled 65 year old brain got it backwards regarding the bypass capacitor switches. I actually prefer the preamp with the switches off (i.e., the capacitors in the circuit). While it might not be as neutral, I get a fuller, more musically engaging sound, imho, especially with a SS amp. I used to do it the other way for tube amps (mostly VTLs), which were already pretty fleshed out. But it’s all a matter of personal taste and system matching - some people prefer Koetsu chocolate, others prefer Ortofon vanilla. Neither is wrong, neither is right - do what makes you happiest and ignore what some random guy on the internet tells you is ‘the only way’ (me included, although I try not to espouse absolutes when it comes to audio preferences, even if I don’t always succeed). At this point in my life, when I listen to music (which is a LOT), I’m a pleasure seeker, not a truth seeker, so take it for what it’s worth.

YEMV, etc.

✌🏼

You know that line about “having to pry it from my dead cold fingers”? That’s how I feel about my 3a….and 3b!! Love em both.

I’m on my 3rd Audible illusions pre - 1999 M3A (with 23k gold faceplate!), 2009 L2B and, since early July, a brand new L3B. I also own a 1990 S-120 amp - a unicorn for sure - so I guess you could call me a fanboy. The M3A sounded lovely, but it was a tube eater, so I happily stuck with the recommended 6h23-eb tubes. I had no such issues with the L2B or, so far at least, the L3B. I think primarily because of Art’s adamance about the 6h23-en (not to mention the now moot tube eating ‘issue’), people don’t always roll tubes in AI preamps, but my experience is that this simple circuit is very revealing of tube differences, and that the Russian tubes can be improved upon. My personal favorites are West German Siemens, with or without gold pins (7308 or e88cc), followed closely by Heerlen factory e88cc, but that’s just my taste, YMMV and all that. As for the switches, one poster above conflated the gain switch with the totally unrelated 4 bypass cap switches. I believe the gain switch has been eliminated in the newer preamps (it sounded more open without it engaged anyway, I.e., higher gain - that switch was a gain reduction switch - like adding an extra resistor in the signal path which, imho, flattened the dynamics a bit. I’d be interested to know how the guys above who think it’s not a dynamic sounding preamp had it set-up, because I’ve got no shortage of dynamics in my system. As for the bypass switches, unless you’re looking to roll the highs for whatever reason, they are intended to be out of the circuit after the first 100 hours or so of break in (during which it can sound a little ‘bites’. But once that goes away, flip those switches and lookout. You’ll realize you just bought $10k worth of glorious tube sound for $5k. I have my L3B mated to an OG (made in France) YBA Passion 600 amp (30k input impedance, no issue, and have finally actualized the sound I’ve been dreaming of having for the past 50 years.

I know I’ve stumbled into an old thread, but if you still have specific questions, @ihcho I’d be happy to try to answer them. You can also give Art a call at the factory - he might seem a little ornery sometimes, since he’s got to be getting up there in age and he’s essentially a one man show, but if you can get him talking, he’ll tell you everything you want to know and more.

BTW, I dealt with him directly on the trade-in of my L2B for a brand new L3B, and I did NOT experience any of the horror stories I’ve seen spread around about 18 month waits, and avoided phone calls and outright lies. In fact, in the 25 years I’ve been dealing with him, I never found him to be anything but a straight shooter (if, perhaps, a little eccentric). Once he gets to know you, he’s a teddy bear underneath the gruff exterior. I ordered my preamp April 29, he told me it would be 6-8 weeks (manufactured to order, not out of stock). He called me in the 7th week to tell me there would be a delay because their remote control supplier had sent remotes that were set to the wrong frequency, and I had it at my doorstep by week 10. Hardly unreasonable, and I never had to chase after him even once. I’m not discounting anyone else’s personal experience, just reporting that my experience was pleasant all around, and I am thrilled with my new preamp (my only quibble being that the old knobs, while less elegantly shaped, had a heavier, more satisfying feel - but the sound, currently using audio research branded west German tubes from the 1980’s (think SP-10), is exquisite.

Enjoy!

✌🏼

If anybody has more experience on M3B or L3, I'd like to hear about it.

I had the L3A for 1.5 yrs and it is a fine preamp.

The L3B had arrived today.

Both blackgate version and 240v and order to receipt in Singapore took less than 1 mth .. from Galen Audio.

I am bias to Audible Illusion preamp  obviously.

Cheers.

Richard

I'm surprised they don't use a better volume attenuator in 2020!

Sorry tooblue1, just saw your reply as I was posting another question. I got the M3. I only use the linestage. 
Thanks 

@stephens7657, which phono stage did your M3 come with? What iteration of the Modulas 3 did you get, 3, 3A or 3B?

Are any of you guys/gals still around?
Thanks

is exciting...Last time anyone has been on this topic was back in 2010.
Got some catching up to do huh?
Anyone still there? Wanna give me some advice; etc.
Thanks

Just bought a AI M3. First tube experience. Clueless...Wow! This 

I had a 3A for a while and liked it a lot. I found it to be on the "lush" or "romantic" side of the spectrum and dynamics didn't really make much impression either way (good or bad).

I would note that, based on feedback in these forums, AI's customer service rep is likely among the worst in the business. IIRC, some years back, several people posted here about AI units sent in for service that were never seen again. I DO NOT have any first hand experience here, so I don't want to trash the company, but, in this case, I would definitely check the archives before purchasing.

Good Luck

Marty

As I recall, HP's comments about the Audible Illusions were along the lines that, if dynamics were "it" the Modulus 3A would be King of The Hill. I think that says it all.

AI preamps can sound a little "shut-in" if the capacitor bypass switches are set to "in". To my ears, best sound is achieved with those capacitors set to "out" which results in better high frequency extension and air.

I'm shocked to hear people say the Modulus 3A lacks dynamics. It must be an equipment mismatch. I'm intimately familiar with it in a system where it feeds a pair of Plinius SA100 MKIII driving a pair of Shahinian Hawks. The front end is a VPI MK IV with Moerch 4 and Dynavector DV-20XH. The combination is anything but lacking in dynamics! It would be extremely helpful to know what equipment was paired with the Mod 3A for those that found it lacking.

I have tried the preamp which was an L1. Unfortunately it wasn't an improvement to my ARC LS-16. In comparison it was unrefined and little shut-in. I think what others have said about the Audible Illusions being compressed and lacking in dynamics may have mirrored my thoughts. The good thing is the unit comes quite close to the ARC at half the cost. May be a gem for those seeking a budget unit that sounds excellent at its price range.

Hi,

I owned a Modulus 3A for a long time and loved it. One poster said that he thought it lacked dynamics, and that could be true depending on the amp it was matched up with. The version of the Modulus 3A that I owned (circa 1999) needed an amp with an input impedance of at least 50 kOhms. If you followed the guidelines, it was a great preamp that had very nice dynamics.

I had to sell mine when I upgraded my amplifier to a more modern design that had quite a low input impedance. Mated with with a low input impedance amp, the Modulus 3A sounded thin and lacked dynamics. However, match it up properly and it is a beauty. Maybe the newer version of the 3A drives low impedance loads better, but I'm not sure.

Alan

I've head the VTL in my system (2.5), and while not super 3D, it gets the timing and the rhythm right and the music comes through well. I would choose it above the 3a for sure. I've heard the 5.5 is even better.

I have to agree with Peter_s. I felt that the sound of the Audible Illusions was somewhat compressed and it lacked dynamics and presence. I've owned and enjoyed a VTL Super Deluxe Preamp for the past 15 years, until I recently upgraded to an MBL 6010D.

If you're considering the Audible Illusions, then I think you should also consider a similarly priced VTL, perhaps a 2.5 or 5.5

Check the manufacturing history at the Audible Illusions website.

Honestly, I felt that the 3a lacked dynamics. Try it out see what you think. I think you could do better, but I'm not sure what to recommend at that price point.

Narrod, thanks for your brief but detailed information. It was much appreciated. I will be trying out one of these soon. Cheers.

L2 replaced L1. 3 replaced 2. 3A replaced 3. There were many variations on the 3. All the 3s have a similar sound.
The 3A is an outstanding preamp. There is a new model called the 3B. Art is a great designer. Customer Service has been the weakness of Audible Illusions.