See the complete review for the Audio-gd Vacuum HE1 XLR Preamplifier
After being so pleased with my Audio-gd HE1 solid-state preamplifier, I had serious doubts that I could find anything better.
And then the Audio-gd Vacuum HE1 XLR tube preamplifier arrived! Yes, the solid-state preamp does some things better, including tight, clean bass, but this vacuum tube preamp truly excels at imaging.
The Audio-gd Vacuum HE1 XLS preamplifier isn’t perfect, but despite its flaws, it’s now the best preamplifier that I’ve heard. Considering it’s priced at the very low end of what you’d expect for this level of performance and construction, I call it an unbeatable bargain.
Details are coming very soon in the full review. Stay tuned!
See the complete review for the Audio-gd Vacuum HE1 XLR Preamplifier
Glenn YoungI learned to play the guitar in high school, hoping to persuade Berma Sanchez to date me, but alas, no such luck! In the late 1970s, a neighbor who was the station engineer for the local PBS network took me under his wing and taught me the electronics of audio reproduction. Throughout college, I used that knowledge to modify Dynaco vacuum tube equipment for friends.
After graduation from LSU, I took a job in the chemical manufacturing industry, learning about industrial hygiene and the mechanics of hearing.
In the 1990s I learned to write, initially as the newsletter editor for my local Safety Engineering chapter. In the early 2000s, I had my first book published (I’m now working on my third).
A few years ago, the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity website issued a call for authors. I responded and was excited to be selected. Over the years, I’ve published a number of equipment reviews and am honored, in 2019, to be given the title of “Senior Editor.”
But none of the above offers the “why” of my interest in home audio. My musical tastes are highly diverse, and my love of music (acquired probably in the church choir of Grace Baptist Church) has been passed on to my daughter, who got her B.S. degree in music and her M.S. in violin performance and music education before being switching gears and then going on to graduate from Harvard Law.
Although the majority of my extended group of friends and family prefer hobbies such as hunting, fishing, football games, etc., I’ve found that I still greatly enjoy time with my audio system and discovering new music. At some time in the fairly near future, my hearing will decline and I’ll no longer be able to listen analytically. But so long as my audiograms show acute hearing, I’ll keep doing what I enjoy best - listening to wonderful music and sharing my thoughts and impressions with like-minded friends.