Ditto all the above. Love it. One thing to mention though, some recordings, and more recently SACD's are mastered at very low levels. I have probably 15 recordings that I simply can't play loudly enough, not enough voltage, with the OBH-12 wide open. (If I connected the disc player directly to the amp, it'd be the same.) So I need to go looking to bump my disc player's 2V output to maybe 3-5V. But am not looking forward to losing the pristine transparency. Does anyone make a line-stage booster (w/no volume)?
Review: Creek OBH-12 Preamplifier
Category: Preamps
When I was searching for a preamp for my system I asked myself what features am I looking for in a preamplifier? Volume control (a remote if possible, listening from my couch) and switching from my TT pre-preamp to my CD...anything else? nope. I just described the Creek OBH-12 preamplifier. What else do you get with the preamp? supreme transparancy for one. Is this preamplifier for everyone? No...if you need to drive long ICs, use tone controls, have complicated switching needs or need to truley preamplify the output from any of your sources than this is not for you. Other features that help add to its attractiveness are that it takes the volume pot out of the signal path when your are not changing volume, allowing for a cleaner direct path in and out...transparancy baby! It is simply a volume control and source switcher (for up to two sources) with a tape loop. If you want a high quality, remote control, source switcher and volume control, this baby is for you. I had envisioned my ideal preamplifier as one that did not color the signal from CD to amplifier, but that allowed me to control volume, the Creek OBH-12 does this better than any other component I have auditioned. Some people say simple, I say focussed and elegant Try it you'll like it!
Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System
When I was searching for a preamp for my system I asked myself what features am I looking for in a preamplifier? Volume control (a remote if possible, listening from my couch) and switching from my TT pre-preamp to my CD...anything else? nope. I just described the Creek OBH-12 preamplifier. What else do you get with the preamp? supreme transparancy for one. Is this preamplifier for everyone? No...if you need to drive long ICs, use tone controls, have complicated switching needs or need to truley preamplify the output from any of your sources than this is not for you. Other features that help add to its attractiveness are that it takes the volume pot out of the signal path when your are not changing volume, allowing for a cleaner direct path in and out...transparancy baby! It is simply a volume control and source switcher (for up to two sources) with a tape loop. If you want a high quality, remote control, source switcher and volume control, this baby is for you. I had envisioned my ideal preamplifier as one that did not color the signal from CD to amplifier, but that allowed me to control volume, the Creek OBH-12 does this better than any other component I have auditioned. Some people say simple, I say focussed and elegant Try it you'll like it!
Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System