Is the Aurieges too good for its own good?

[jondkaufman]

As I am currently moving from the Autieges (the two box version) to the Masseto (will the package never arrive?), my feelings are: a) The Auriegies is a very good pre-amp, with lots of tone and feeling, (b) When I had my session with Matt, I was stunned by the sound difference when we moved to the Monbrison - clarity, depth, etc. - everything else being equal (same Montille, speakers, everything), (c) I could not hear as big a difference from the Monbrison to the Masseto, it was much more subtle. I choose the Masseto over the Monbrison because it was a bit different with the transformers and I felt that it was a "better" long-term selection, but I could have been exceptionally happy with the Monbrison. Having said that, when Matt put the Aurieges back into play after the Monbrison, after just a couple of songs, I quickly asked him to take it out for the Monbrison. And that was that...I have had my Aurieges for a couple of years now, and it is very good, but IMHO and in my system (I'll be staying with the Montille to power the O/96s for a while), it is not in the same category as the others above it, technically...I have not heard the V-R or above yet...Jonathan K.