Manley 300B Neo Classic : any love ?

[Jerome W]

Ok Dan !
Will place my order monday morning.
Listening to the Snappers right now with the MDA 1000 direct into them and it sounds so damn good that I just HAVE TO buy this preamp !

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[Jerome W]

The Snappers do not have the refinement and transparency of the 2301's or my artisanal amps, but they have bloom and drive and they give a very warm sound. The synergy with Wilsons is just obvious.
I prefer my "Haute Couture" amps, but not by a huge margin.
The Snappers do make wonderful music and have a great tone.
They are colored for sure. Warm for sure. They sound a bit vintage but with more definition.
But some days, I just love this coloration and find it very refreshing.
I cannot resist to pair them with a family preamp.

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[Jerome W]

WOW.

Plugged again my artisanal amps and....they truly kick the a.... of the Snappers, as they did to the 2301's. The musicality is unique.
I think finally that the artisanal preamp made for them will be the final step to my main system.
The 300B preamp could be out of the game also.

I'm a bit confused now.
I could buy both but who needs 2 preamps in one system ???

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[jdandy]

Jérôme.......Your descriptive adjectives for your main amplifier are becoming interesting. "Haute Couture" and "Artisanal" are quite creative. What's next, "Artigiano"?

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Jérôme.......Your descriptive adjectives for your main amplifier are becoming interesting. "Haute Couture" and "Artisanal" are quite creative. What's next, "Artigiano"?

Dan....you know that I cannot state them in an other way !
They are masterpieces indeed.
What is very shocking is that I listen to the Manleys, and find them extremely good though conscious of some limits, compared to the 2301's And when I switch to my main amps, the Manleys weaknesses become just obvious and clear. And the same happened with the 2301's, that is why I sold them. I had no more pleasure listening to them.
The 2301's and the Manleys have only one thing "more" than my main amps on my speakers : they both go lower in the bass with a bit more weight But the bass of my main amps is tighter and much more resolved. Much richer in harmonics.
I was listening to the beautiful recording of Martin Taylor : Artistry.
With the Manleys, the sound of the bass was the same of an electric bass guitar. Very nice and punchy. But with my main amps, I heard the bass corresponding of the lower notes of an acoustic guitar : much more natural and most of all, the bass notes had a life. They had a beginning, a life and a death. They sounded much longer, with air around them and reverberation.
And this richness of harmonics goes for all the spectrum. I started to see the fingers on the cords ! And what is strange is that this increase in details was together with a better access to the whole melody and I wasn't caught focusing on them. You hear more details, more sounds, you "see" the instruments and yet, you focus more on the music and you do not "analyse" what you hear.
I enjoy a lot the Manleys. I enjoyed a lot the 2301's. And I would have been extremely happy with anyone of them, if I had not listened to
these new amps. They make me "fly" and talk to my soul. They grab your "full mindness conscience", the "sati" as say the buddhists, your Attention and your concentration, and they stick them to the show of the Music. They are in an other dimension, for someone like me.
Probably that not anyone would feel the same. Although 3 audiophiles and among them 2 McIntosh addicts, prefered them clearly to the 2301's, a majority of people could find the opposite.
But for the ones like me who had this precise idea of listening to music, there is no other way to go now.
When you like sugar and sweeties, you can enjoy a lot an industrial cookie bought in a supermarket.
And you will enjoy much more a hand made cookie made by a pastry Master with top notch ingredients. And the day after you can go back to the standard supermarket cookie and still like it.
If I fire on the Manleys today, I know that I will like them a lot. But my true love and passion is not there.

So in a sense, yes, those amps are Art with a capital A and have been designed by a Master with a capital M.
Come spend a week or two or a whole month in my home with Marlene. Listen to music at night with them during hours, and I am sure that this new dimension will be obvious for you too.
Just wait a bit for this Master to make my preamp !

Still, I would like to buy this damn Manley 300B preamp.....!

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[Jerome W]

I just ordered the Manley 300B Neo Classic.
It will be in use for casual listening. If I like it a lot, it may also be my preamp for serious listening too !

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

I just ordered the Manley 300B Neo Classic.

Jérôme.......I was confident this order would be placed. You have been so mezmerized by the Manley Snapper amps. This seems like the natural progression for a Manley system. I feel certain the synergy between the components will be greater than the individual components. I am looking forward to your photos and a review.

[Jerome W]

Thanks Dan !

It is a beautiful class A preamp, using 300B which is very rare.
It is made by a company which I happened to know more since one year.
Like McIntosh, it makes me proud of being their customer because EveAnna and all her staff is amazing. You get the feeling to be part of the family and this is extremely rare too in today's economy.
Something tells me that it won't only be perfect for the Snappers. It may well be wonderful too with my main amps.
Moreover it is a top notch headphone preamp.
This piece should stay in my home for many many years !

[bakerman]

You're on a roll Jerome. Next up is an all Rega system!

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by bakerman

You're on a roll Jerome. Next up is an all Rega system!

: why not ?