Has anyone heard the ASR Basis Exclusive?


Harry Pearson has raved about this in two different articles. Is it hype or the truth? It would seem that a battery driven phonostage could produce excellent sound.
slingshot
I have had a chance to listen to the full line of ASR components . Yes what Harry says about the unit is true . I have had all kinds of gear over the years and nothing has made such a drastic and ovewhelming difference in my system . My locale dealer has been selling the ASR for close to 8 years and I never took note of it . It looked just to nice and with its plexiglass cover and being used with Avant Garde Trio in a room that is 14x19 it just didn't do it for me . After the TAS review I brought the unit home to try with my gear and holy smokes . The unit is as Harry says it is . For the first time in years with my ear right at the speaker there is no hum zero nada nichts. This unit is so black, the musicians jump out at you playing their instruments like never before . As the musician moves his instrument while he is playing you can hear every change that is made on the stage . This was something that has never happenened to this degree before . The space where the music was recorded is more evident with the ASR than anything else that I have had or tried out in my rigs . I borrowed the unit for one week (lots of 2AM listening sesions)and no matter what I played , everything was just simply more alive. Needless to say I Bought the Emitter II Exclusive, the Basis will have to wait till Xmas .
i had a Basis HD (aka exclusive, mod. year 2004, + newest 2005 mods). i ended up selling the unit for a ACR PH5 wich is a lot more juicy and less mechanical sounding even if it has not 100% of the ASRĀ“s dynamics. but therefor the PH5 is more 3 dimensional sounding. for my taste the PH5 is more revealing...i also compared the ASR with the PH5 and a E.a.r. 834p in another system than mine (Kronzilla monos, tannoy canterbury, manley 300b preamp) and also in this system i didnt liked the ASR by comparison. i now at least 2 persons who had the ASR at home and think the same about the ASR as me.
oh and i compared the ASR with my other preamp (E.a.r. 834p) and a Roksan DX2 Ref. in a hifi store (cabasse altura bahia, linn pre/power amp?, clearaudio tt, benz ruby 2)at least the difference between the roksan and the asr where not big, no whole different quality level as i had awaited, the roksan was (even if it also is SS) a bit warmer.
I reviewed the ASR and thought it was a phenomonal product. Certainly not for all tastes. It was very revealing, open and dynamic. If your system does 'scale' it is grand. If not, you've wasted your money and will only get something that will sound analytical. It is very detailed and revealing without sound mechanical but if you like 'warm' and 'juicy' as Xronx does, it will not be for you. It carves images and space as few other phono pre's I've heard but is not for every taste or every system...but then what is? BTW: it is based on a microphone preamp op-amp. But don't hold that against it.
oh by the way...when i was in the ASR factory in herborn/germany to get the updates...the guy who is responsible for fitting and servicing the Basis HD/Exclusive told me that in the near future there will be a new big phonostage from ASR with the possibility of 3 inputs!!!
I recently bought the ASR Basis Exclusive, I install that at one week ago at 18-5-07, and all I can say now is WOW what a fine piece, lovely, this is truly high end phono, my is the 2 inputs version.
I 'am surprised
with this phono, only one week of installation, and what a sound.
Detailed, every nuance of the music is listeming, fast, deep bass, holographic images, spectacular sound. I absolutely loved the ASR Basis Exclusive. My Turntable is the Oracle Paris, with the Jelco/Audioquest tonearm, and Dynavector DV 17 Karat D2 MKII.