[etcarroll]

Thanks Jack.

Just put my listening room back together from Saturday.

Have to shower now, then form my impressions once and for all.

Dropped unit at UPS at 4pm EST, should be arriving by MaxCast on 11/04 per UPS tracking.

Hey Maxcast, your 1st name is Rich, correct? Just want to be sure I sent it to right guy. Oh, and the UPS counter kid thought MI. in the address meant Miami  , so I insured the box for a grand, just to be safe.

[TooManyToys]

Just

I've been waiting for your opinions since Saturday.  Sorry I couldn't make it down to your house.

[etcarroll]

A good glass of scotch and memories of tubed audio gear. So with the Beacon Two in the hands of UPS, let's go over what I've learned. First and foremost, it lent a more full-bodied feel to all the music I listen to. It also enabled me to place the instruments in space, widened the soundstage, it also put more 'air' around each of the individual instruments. Coltranes album "Blue Train" had me feel like I was sitting in a smoky jazz nightclub. With rock albums it opened up some of the poorer recorded albums, as I mentioned earlier on the Silversun Pickups' album Swoon the Beacon Two allowed me to finally hear the keyboard player. And it was phenomenal with classical music. I had recently heard Brahms Fourth symphony live, and put on one of my CDs of the same piece, and was impressed with the way the Beacon Two presented the leading edge of notes, as well as maintain the decay at the end of notes.

On some minor issues, everyone who came to my place this past Saturday to hear the unit remarked on how attractive the red paint job with the woodsides was.

[etcarroll]

Also arriving with the unit were the interconnects the LH-1. I started the listening test with the LH-1 connecting the preamp to my amp. Once everyone had heard it that way for an hour or two I removed and replaced it with my own do it yourself cables. Pretty much immediately everyone asked me to reinsert the LH-1. Looks like I'm in the market for new cable to connect my preamp to my amp. The LH-1 improved the pace of the music, and really offered more clarity to the sound, as well as offering some improvement to the soundstage.

Most of the testing was done with my Rega CD player, connected to the unit with WyWires interconnects. I also connected my turntable and eventually my squeezebox to the Beacon Two. In both cases the sound was noticeably improved over my solid-state preamplifier.

[etcarroll]

Today prior to putting the Beacon two in transit to the next listener I hooked up a Sherwood SACD player I received just yesterday. Though I didn't have much time to test this, after listening to some classical SACDs, and then reattached my own preamplifier and re-listened to them, and was struck by how the Beacon Two removed/softened some of the 'glare' present in high notes when listening with my ss preamp.

In summary this is a piece of equipment I really came to like a lot while it was in my possession, I could certainly see myself purchasing a unit pretty much exactly like it, down the road.

[pumpkinman]

Had A nice day with Mary (Gene) and believe or not he actually told the truth. I was blown away with the
sound vs. his solid state pre. I really really loved the red with wood sides and made several comments
to that effect. Thanks for letting a pumpkinman in   .............Bill

Gene worded his impressions in a way I wish I could but the words never seem to come out right

[etcarroll]

Well Bill thank you for making the trip down here and bringing all the CDs, and for bumming me out about my turntable's sound quality  .

Had A nice day with Mary (Gene) and believe or not he actually told the truth. I was blown away with the
sound vs. his solid state pre. I really really loved the red with wood sides and made several comments
to that effect. Thanks for letting a pumpkinman in   .............Bill

[pumpkinman]

Well Bill thank you for making the trip down here and bringing all the CDs, and for bumming me out about my turntable's sound quality  .

Your welcome Gene
I also told you I liked your CD sound better than my own lets not forget that !!!!

[Mariusz]

Well Bill thank you for making the trip down here and bringing all the CDs, and for bumming me out about my turntable's sound quality  .

That's just mean

[pumpkinman]

That's just mean

Mariusz 
Gene and I are always busting on each other, he's a good guy and I don't take anything he says personal....Bill

[Niteshade]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the Beacon Two! The prototype has been in my system for over a year now and hasn't been moved. The only revisions since the prototype have been the output link capacitors and DC filaments.

I suggest watching a movie with this preamp. My main entertainment system is stereo. We do not have surround sound since the imaging is so good with two channels. The Beacon Two excels at amplifying special effects as well as music. You really do get a feel for where everything is and I've tried it on at least a dozen different amps, including Class D and Tripath-based Class D's.

[MaxCast]

Thanks Jack.

Just put my listening room back together from Saturday.

Have to shower now, then form my impressions once and for all.

Dropped unit at UPS at 4pm EST, should be arriving by MaxCast on 11/04 per UPS tracking.

Hey Maxcast, your 1st name is Rich, correct? Just want to be sure I sent it to right guy. Oh, and the UPS counter kid thought MI. in the address meant Miami  , so I insured the box for a grand, just to be safe.

Yes, I'm Rich but not rich. 
that's just funny.  What you say the package goes through Florida before it reaches Michigan?  he he
Thursday will be cool as I'll have it for two weekends.
I wish Blair would include two sets of IC's so they could be evaluated in the system as a whole.

[etcarroll]

UPS says its out for delivery to you - enjoy.

[MaxCast]

UPS says its out for delivery to you - enjoy.

 

[etcarroll]

Maxcast -

A few caveats, there are no directions with this, but its pretty straight forward to see how the tubes and wires/powercords go in.

Looking at the unit, power switch to your left, I left it down for off for shipment. While I had it I left it up, I plug everything but my amp into a PS Quintet, and turn everything on/off with it.

The tubes are each wrapped individually in bubble wrap, and then inserted into the brown wrapping paper you'll see when you 1st open the box, so don't just pull out the paper and fling it about in your hurry to play.

Have fun.

[MaxCast]

thanks Eugene.  Received it today just like ups said.  Do both power cords get plugged in?  This is the first time I've seen two power cords for a pre.  Perhaps I've missed it.  Blair could you please explain for me?
Looking forward to this audition !

[etcarroll]

Yes - both, one's for the unit in general, standard IEC plug.

The other that looks like it has a guitar jack is for the tubes. There's a corresponding female connection on back of unit for it.

[Niteshade]

Having an external regulated filament supply is unorthodox, but well worth it. I see no reason to place the B+ supply externally. Doing that would not introduce any benefits.

Low voltage, high current power supplies are difficult to filter and expensive to make as a result. My approach to solving this problem is as good as it gets. An external regulated supply gets the job done perfectly AND makes room for better B+ and audio circuits. It's a win-win situation with only one con hardly worth mentioning: An additional power cord is required.

If anybody on the tour or those keeping track of the tour have questions, please ask!

[MaxCast]

Thanks for the info guys. So far so good on the sound. Kids are on bed so time for some more listening.

[Niteshade]

Nice photo!