VALVET Amps & Pre: any feedback from Audiogoners?

I am very familiar with the Valvet L2 preamp and have had some time with the Soulshine 6sn7 version, both in my own systems.

The L2 preamp is toneful and has a big, rambunctious sound. The Soulshine is comparatively more disciplined and restrained while being very smooth, resolving and civil. Ironically, there's more violence in the simpler L2. Both are very good preamps for driving SET amplifiers, especially the L2 in light of its assertive event transients, sonic projection and bass discipline. The latest Soulshine is a bit different as being able to leaven the brighter and grungier aspects of push pull tube amps and to inject more tone in solid state amplification. With SET it is finally and dynamically mellow and lovely, though tubes can shade that one way or another.

Using the great 6sn7 tube, the Valvets can be bent to sonic reference via substitution of the many brands, eras and constructions of 6sn7 octal twin triodes. Lots of options to dial them in.

I expect to hear the Class A solid state mono amps soon.

Phil

I am very familiar with the Valvet L2 preamp and have had some time with the Soulshine 6sn7 version, both in my own systems.

The L2 preamp is toneful and has a big, rambunctious sound. The Soulshine is comparatively more disciplined and restrained while being very smooth, resolving and civil. Ironically, there's more violence in the simpler L2. Both are very good preamps for driving SET amplifiers, especially the L2 in light of its assertive event transients, sonic projection and bass discipline. The latest Soulshine is a bit different as being able to leaven the brighter and grungier aspects of push pull tube amps and to inject more tone in solid state amplification. With SET it is finally and dynamically mellow and lovely, though tubes can shade that one way or another.

Using the great 6sn7 tube, the Valvets can be bent to sonic reference via substitution of the many brands, eras and constructions of 6sn7 octal twin triodes. Lots of options to dial them in.

I expect to hear the Class A solid state mono amps soon.

Phil

Has anyone heard either the Valvet bricks ER1 or bricks AR1? Unfortunately, the A.35 MKIII are out of my price range. I'm seriously considering this brand, but there aren't a lot of reviews from consumers.

I had the L1 pre (with 6SN7 tubes on top) plus the Er1 power amps.

The pre is very fast and the power amps are warmer and darker than the AR1s (that I also had for a month).

The bass is very well defined and controlled.

The mids and highs are good.

What I could not get with that combo (compared to my Leben CS-300) is:

1.- Bass does not go as deep as the Leben

2.- The body and timbre I get, in the mids, with the Leben;

3.- The air and 3D presentation I get with the Leben;

As usual, try to listen to them with your own gear, especially with your loudspeakers. I used them with Zu Druid Mk IV.

Hope this helps.

Daniel

Jesusa0,
Thanks for the feedback, it's very helpful. The problem is that I can't audition the amps or listen to them with my own gear because there aren't any dealers. Don't you buy the amps directly from the U.S. distributor?