Review: deHavilland Electric Amp Mercury 2 Tube preamp

Category: Preamps

I like all kind of music, especially jazz, classical and folk rock, so I need a system that can "do it all," from intimate acoustic groups to full orchestras. I have a small room, so I need equipment that can bring all the music out at relatively low volume levels. My preference is for true-to-life realism in sound.

I've been on a 2 month quest for a new preamp and have listened to nearly a score of them in stores, friend's homes, and my own home. I finally settled on the $3,500 deHavilland Mercury 2 and have owned it for two months. It replaced a $7,000 YBA-1 which sounded great with the YBA-1HC amplifier I used to have. But when I got new custom built 845-based monoblocks, the YBA sounded less natural than when paired with its own brand-mate.

The Mercury 2 is unique in using an old and nearly forgotten radio tube, the type 85 6-pin triode. No one has used the tube in this kind of circuit before. The goal was to produce a “big tube sound” that can’t be achieved by the 12AX7s and other 9-pin miniature tubes found in most preamps. It’s a zero negative feedback, class A design, with a very simple circuit, tube rectification and point-to-point hand wiring. It has a 24 position stepped attenuator for a volume control.

The sound of the Mercury 2 totally confounds stereotypes about tubes vs. solid state. It has none of the “golden glow” of classic tube gear, but it has a harmonic richness that surpasses anything I've heard in a solid state preamp. It has a clean, transparent character that (along with the Hovland) sets a new benchmark in my experience. The highs go all the way up without the slightest bit of edginess. There’s great bass too, so tight that it borders on dryness. All the details are there, and the full frequency spectrum, but nothing feels forced on you or stands out from the rest. The result is a sound that’s simply “natural.” The imaging and soundstage size and depth are also as good as I’ve heard, adding to the sense of realism.

With every other preamp I’ve listened to, you have to crank up the volume to a certain level before the sound ‘opens up,’ but the Mercury 2 seems all the way open even at the lowest volume settings – a great advantage for late night listening. My audiophile-quality CDs sound great playing through it, but I’ve also found myself listening to music that I’ve avoided for years because it wasn’t so well recorded. The Mercury 2 makes everything sound better. And that’s what ultimately convinced me to buy it: I just enjoyed listening to it so much.

One reviewer calls the Mercury 2 “the best tube preamplifier on the planet.” I can’t attest to that, but I can say that after trying nearly a score of under-$10,000 preamps, including several that are Stereophile Class A-rated, the Mercury 2 was the best match for my 845 amps, and by far the best for the money.

Associated gear
YBA-1 CD player
VPI table, SME 5 arm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature
Custom made 845-based monoblock amplifiers
JM Labs Diva Utopia Be
Stealth Indra ICs, HMS Gran Finale speaker cables
Sunyata Hydra; PS Audio P300
RPG abfusors and skylights
Eighth Nerve Acoustics corner & bass treatments

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