Hattor Audio Autoformer Reference Preamplifier

Hey Teajay, thanks for reaching out. I purchased the copper version and it is currently being built.  I didn’t choose copper particularly because of the price difference but because I have not read overwhelming consensus that silver is better wrt AVCs.

Arek knows me as a long-time customer so, if you are game, maybe we could ask him if we could swap units after your review and then we could both directly compare the silver and copper versions.  We could even schedule the hand-offs so that each of us would have both units in our houses at the same time for a week.  It would require him to treat both units as demo models and I would commit to either staying with the copper version that I already purchased, or sending it back and upgrading to a silver version, either the demo unit if you don’t buy it, or  a new unit. Of course, I would do Audiogon write-ups on both and the comparison.  Let me know if that sounds interesting to you and, if yes, we can reach out to Arek.

@mitch2 I also run the Hattor The Big Preamplifier and am looking forward to your comparison with the new autoformer pre. Also would like to hear your experience with how The Big Pre has compared to other brands.

Many moons ago I acquired his Ultimate Passive preamp and loved everything

about it when I had a Marantz HD-CD player, but the lazar died. I got a great deal on an Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS-5 and sold the Hattor, though I miss it to this day. It was jewelry, Decades ago I had an autoformer pre from Antique Sound IMO way ahead of its' time. IMHO, get them cryoed 

My experience of using a Autoformer as a Standalone Volume Control is one where I am able to detect a colouration injected by the Autoformer.

The same has been detected when it has been used along side a TVC, where the TVC has increased the noticeability of the colouration that is able to be detected.

My AVC is not my first pre amp option of late and it is out on loan, it is the VC for a DHT Pre Amp Design a friend has been fine tuning using Type 26 Valves.

As a very very lay description, the AVC is used at the back end of the Circuit when the Signal is sent to the Power Amp. In a system I know very well with a Pre Amp Design I am familiarising myself with, I can't detect the Colouration that the AVC / TVC has added when used as a more conventional device within a system.