Text and Photos by Juan C. Ayllon ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL -- The music swirled about the room like wine in a sommelier’s mouth. I’d first heard them in a packed Arlington Room at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum this last February. The frozen, yellow grass out front was thawing and inside, principals Eric Krupp and John Brunner were demonstrating their Gudebrod Audio 3T12V preamplifier and AC/120/3 line filters to the Chicago Audio Society with a pristine pair of Sonus Faber Amati Olympica 3 speakers. “Initially, its presentation was a little softer in the highs -- an affectation that some prefer,” I reported. “But somewhere after the half hour mark, the team of Krupp and Brunner triggered a phase shift and -- voila! Gone was the softness! New detail and a more forward presentation emerged. Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, more classical and soft rock -- they all presented crisp, well-articulated and compelling.” (You can read more of my account here) Not too long afterwards, I was contacted by Mr. Krupp, who discovered my account of the event after Googling “Gudebrod”. Fast forward to several weeks ago: I had just finished a pair of reviews of the VPI Prime Signature turntable and the PS Audio BHK Signature preamplifier, when Krupp dropped off his preamplifier, and a pair of line filters. I was excited about hearing this, the fourth preamp I have reviewed in little over a year in front of the Usher Mini Dancer Two DMD speakers that I’ve also been reviewing (which are very detailed and revealing). And their line filter also piqued my interest, as I was curious to hear its impact on my listening room. Specifications The Gudebrod Audio 3T12V Preamplifier has the following specs:
Retail price is $7,000. The Gudebrod Audio AC120/3 AC Audio Purifier ($650) is a 8.5 lb. 13” x 10” x 5” box with three plugs on the rear and a polarity changing switch on the front. According to its literature, it “removes unwanted EMI/RFI frequencies in the Megahertz to Gigahertz range (RFI attenuation from 100khz upwards)” by “stripping away the unwanted noise that piggybacks the ac sine wave in the 50-60 hertz range without disturbing it.” It comes with a five year parts and labor warranty is comes in black walnut, rosewood, leopardwood and aluminum. (“AC120/3 AC Audio Purifier w/ Polarity Changing Switch”). As Krupp suggests, I plug all but one of my components into the two AC purifiers (I kept the Odyssey Stereo Khartago Extreme amplifier plugged directly into the wall, as I needed seven outlets and Klaus Bunge, who owns Odyssey Audio, had told me to plug it directly into a wall socket). This may account for the fact that although there was an appreciable reduction in AC sound, some remained (Erik told me after I returned his gear that by plugging the amp directly into the wall outlet like that, I was amplifying the electronic noise from my house into the system). I run the preamp, which opens up and has a more refined presentation and, after a day, I trigger the reverse polarity switch and then it happens: its sound stage is improved, taking on a more full-bodied tone. This is going to be fun! Flipping the Wax I regret that the VPI Prime Signature had to be shipped off before I got a chance to really listen to it in front of the Gudebrod Audio preamplifier. Nevertheless, I decided to play several selections of vinyl rendered on my Technics SL1200 Mk 3 turntable with the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge as part of my listening session. Dave Mason. “Only You Know and I Know.” Alone Together. Vinyl 33 ⅓ RPM. Blue Thumb Records, 1970. This classic rock recording by the former member of Traffic sounds a bit bright and detailed. Mason’s vocals are solid, the snare and ride cymbals are articulated well, as are the the ride cymbals and electric guitar. It his here that I am missing hearing the VPI Prime Signature turntable with the Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge that I reviewed for several months (in all fairness, the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge ($200) now in use and the Quintet Black ($1,000) are on two different levels, as are the Technics SL1200 Mk 3 turntable ($350 used) I’m using vs. the $6,000 VPI Prime Signature). Nevertheless, it’s a good presentation and a little more forgiving on the shortcomings than the VPI -- which surprises me, as the 2M Blue is supposed to be a little more analytical sounding than the Black. Perhaps the added warmth of the Gudebrod preamp helps? Miles Davis. “Freddie Freeloader." Kind of Blue. Vinyl record 33 ⅓ RPM. Columbia. 1959. Miles Davis’ trumpet, as accompanied by Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and John Coltrane on saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Jimmy Cobb’s on ride cymbal and snare, and Paul Chambers on double bass make a very compelling and satisfying analog presentation. The dynamics are not over the top, but realistic. And the timbre and articulation of Davis’s trumpet are captivating and lifelike -- as are Adderley’s and Coltrane’s. What a way to wrap up my vinyl listening segment of my listening session with this modal jazz classic. Getting My Digital On I fire up my Lampizator DSD Komputer music server, which is linked up to my modified Lampizator Lite 7 DAC and using the Roon Labs music player software, I play a selection of music on my system. Michael Franks. “Alone at Night.” Passion Fruit. ALAC 44.1 kHz. Warner Brothers. 1983. One of my go-to selections that help inform my informal impressions of a piece of equipment is this 1980s Bossa Nova flavored throwback to my college days. Steve Gadd’s snare, toms and ride cymbal, Sue Evans’ fingersnap, Will Lee’s bass licks, and Randy Brecker’s muted trumpet in the opening seconds draw me in. Tasty licks from Hyram Bullock’s guitar, Rob Mounsey’s padding keys, and Pat Rebillot’s piano create a wondrous backdrop. And, indeed, Frank’s vocals are very organic and clear, but it’s Randy Brecker’s gorgeous flugelhorn playing in the backdrop that really catches my attention. It’s something I first really heard when I had a pair of Destination Audio Horn Loudspeakers, preamplifier and monblocks in my living room for several months last year -- and it’s something I always find myself listening for nowadays. This preamp delivers it and then some! Anthony Wilson Trio. “Mezcal.” Jack of Hearts. DSD128 Native DSD download. Groove Note Records. 2009. This sassy jazz gem by the longtime guitarist in Diana Krall’s quartet (“Anthony Wilson: Guitarist, Composer, Arranger”) shows plenty of slam with Jim Keltner’s snare, crash, ride cymbals -- and, yes, the cowbell, while Wilson’s electric guitar is big, bold and well articulated. Larry Golding’s vintage Hammond B-3 lead riffs and background pads give it verve. And, when Wilson opens up, it’s an intoxicating kickoff to an outstanding album this shines with a very analog and realistic presentation that draws me in time and again. Vanessa Daou. “Life on a Distant Star.” Plutonium Glow -- 1st Version. MP3 44.1 kHz. 320 kbps. Daou Music / Oxygen Music Works. 1998. Vanessa’s luscious, effects-laced vocals and the downtempo dancy, electronic accompaniment of bass, drums, keys and synthesizers conjure trips to Ulta and Sephora with my wife, where music like this plays in the background as she samples makeup endlessly. But, if only it sounded so good, I might enjoy those visits more (trying on men’s cologne only distracts me so long, after all)! Her vocals are ethereal, floating through the air in this Indie chill-out gem. The tandem of the Gudebrod 3T12V preamp, modified Lampizator Lite 7 DAC (Jupiter Copper Foil, Wax and Paper capacitors and chokes added, while a few resistors were snipped) combined with the dynamic Odyssey Khartago Extreme SE amplifier, is pleasant and powerful, haunting and compelling, enveloping me via the Usher Mini Dancer Twos. Eden Atwood. “He’s a Carioca.” Waves: The Bossa Nova Sessions. DSD128 Native DSD download. Groove Note Records. 2002. Atwood’s silky sultry jazz vocals shine and shimmer in this glowing rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s classic. Accompanied alternatively by Scott Breadman’s congas, Bill Cunliffe’s acoustic piano, Derek Oles’ bass, Joe LaBarbera’s lilting ride cymbal and Antony Wilson’s acoustic guitar, her vocals and accompaniment fill the room with wet, glistening notes floating through the air and a musical presentation that makes me want to set my MacBook Air aside and simply listen. It’s evocative and conjures memories of savoring a midnight summer’s cigar and glass of cabernet at my in-laws’ lanai in Tampa, Florida. With a pond yards away, I am overcome and enveloped with the tropical sounds of crickets, bullfrogs, birds and their resident alligator. It’s glowing, transcendent and a bit intoxicating. Conclusion I first learned about wines while waiting tables in the early 90s and as my palette developed, I came to scorn syrupy sweet ones like white zinfandel; instead, I fell in love with reds like cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah and merlot. I considered them tasty, but dry (i.e., not sweet). That is until several years ago, when I sampled some French reds at a local wine shop. They had a wonderful bouquet, but my God! They were utterly devoid of any hint of sweetness, maybe even slightly bitter. After hearing so much from the Francophiles about the superiority of their vineyards, I was disappointed. “French red wines are definitely dryer than California reds,” the proprietor confirmed. “Some people love them and others, like you, do not.” That’s when I learned that I prefer red wines that, like California varietals, have a subtle hint of sweetness -- and are, perhaps, even a touch jammy? In the world of high end audio, transparency and accuracy are highly exalted, but I find that often people fall somewhere along the continuum in one of two bifurcated paths: One favors the use of vacuum tubes that, at the extreme side, produce that classic, warm tube amp sound and on the mild end, as with the PS Audio BHK preamp, render a relatively neutral signal, while the other pathway favors solid state components and extreme accuracy. Some denizens of this latter group are critical of the former, saying that tubes introduce second order harmonic distortion and look at them like audio versions of white zinfandel -- syrupy caricatures of what truly good sound should be. Looking back at the preamplifiers in my listening room this last year, I have to say that the Gudebrod possesses a powerful, robust and transparent presentation just right of neutral with more than a hint of warmth and sweetness. It isn’t the vintage warm tube sound, but certainly gives a 21st Century nod to it. Compared to the Cypher Labs Prautes Headphone Amp/preamplifier, it is more neutral, but set up against the PS Audio BHK preamplifier and it’s a different story. The BHK Signature is a French red wine to Gudebrod’s California red; the former is extremely neutral while the Gudebrod has a warmer, wetter, more enriched presentation. In many ways, the Gudebrod Audio 3T12V reminds me of the first preamp I reviewed -- the Destination Audio preamplifier ($16,000). This is high praise, as it was an integral part of their component set that was awarded “Best System Performance” by attendees at this year’s California Audio Show. In retrospect, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise; while not being overly tuby, both the Gudebrod and the Destination Audio preamplifiers lean more towards 1930s technology than 21st Century, resulting in a fresh, full-bodied and transparent spin on vintage audio. That works just fine for me. Equipment Used:
Work Cited: “AC Audio Purifier AC12/3 w/ Polarity Changing Switch.” GudebrodAudio.com. Gudebrod Audio. 2018. Web. 14 August 2018. “Anthony Wilson: Guitarist, Composer, Arranger.” AnthonyWilsonMusic.com. N.d. Web. 13 August 2018.
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