Preamplifier
above typical
Among the 29 preamplifiers in the catalogue, this one is above typical.
A band places a component against its peers and carries no price. It is deliberately the only price indicator on this page: a second one, measured against a different set, would narrow the two together far enough to give the figure away.
ASC-2 parity entry. Audited [439][441]; discussed [15][437]. Character: "a transparent window that keeps diction crisp rather than stacking warmth" [437].
Passive path note [437][439]: with Proprius alone marginal but workable (575 mV sensitivity helps); active Sugden below preferred for headroom/voicing.
Assessed against 6 rivals across the sixty systems: 15 head-to-heads won, 11 lost.
The dimension the engine names as the weakest link, counted across every head-to-head it lost.
4 lost· 4 won · Anchored, Artisan, Cavity-Native, Intimate, PRaT, Reference
Against the Anchored brief, the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 takes the slot by a whisker.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the stronger preamplifier for that brief.
It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the preamplifier position.
3 lost· 1 won · Cavity-Native, Characterful, Romantic
Against the Cavity-Native brief, the Leema Neutron keeps the slot by a whisker.
With the Rega Aura Reference MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.
With the Leema Hydra II, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the stronger preamplifier — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aura Reference MC gives up quietness at rest under the Cavity-Native weighting.
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
2 lost· 7 won · Anchored, Artisan, Characterful, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Silent Path
Against the Anchored brief, the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 takes the slot clearly.
With the Longdog Audio P6100M Biamp 2x2 (4 units), the pairing gains most on quietness at rest.
With the Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the weaker preamplifier — yet it wins here on fit: the pairing with the Longdog Audio P6100M Biamp 2x2 (4 units) gains quietness at rest under the Anchored weighting.
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
2 lost · Intimate
Against the Intimate brief, the EAR Yoshino 868L (Line) keeps the slot clearly.
With the EAR Yoshino 890, the pairing gives up most on midrange truth.
With the Rega Aura Reference MC, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the weaker preamplifier for that brief.
868L line preamp, Tim de Paravicini valve designEAR Yoshino 868L + multi-decade Stereophile heritage
0 lost· 2 won · Artisan, Reference
Against the Artisan brief, the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 takes the slot clearly.
With the Naim NVC TT MM/MC, the pairing gains most on quietness at rest.
With the Exposure XM9 Biamp 2x2 (4 units), the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the stronger preamplifier for that brief.
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
had not heard a better preampStereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review
0 lost· 1 won · Intimate
Against the Intimate brief, the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 takes the slot by a whisker.
With the Naim NVC TT MM/MC, the pairing gains most on low-level clarity.
With the Audio Note P1 SE, the pairing gives up most on midrange truth.
On its own merits the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 is the stronger preamplifier for that brief.
Audio Note pre with onboard phono, classic SET-friendly voicingAudio Note M2 Phono + Stereophile heritage
had not heard a better preamp Stereophile (Art Dudley) — Baby Reference V1 review· Electrical noise floor
transparency Dagogo — Baby Reference review (+followup)· Micro-dynamic resolution
the latest incarnation Hi-Fi+ — Baby Reference V2 review· Tonal consistency
transparency The Ear — Baby Reference review· Spatial resolution
| is balanced internal | True |
|---|---|
| rca inputs | 1 |
| xlr inputs | 1 |
| rca outputs | 1 |
| xlr outputs | 1 |
| output impedance ohm | 200 |
| has pre supplied psu | False |
| gain db | 0.0 |
| notes |