Soulution 520 Preamp

[Alpinist]

I was just wondering if anyone here had experience with the Soulution 520 preamp? I'm trying to get an idea of how much of a bump I'll get in performance if I put one in front of my Soulution 501 monos. Right now I'm running directly from my Esoteric K-01 to the Soulution 501's and I have to say, it sounds pretty darn good.

Ken

[joeinid]

I always prefer a preamp in the system. I feel I get more musicality, air and dimension. I have not heard the Soulution gear, but there are a few members here who own it and always speak highly of it. I am sure it will be amazing.

[MDP]

Ken, I've heard it many times, it's a great pre !

David has even paired it with the Hegel H30 and said it was fabulous :celebrate008_2:

I'm sure Kev will chime in, he loves his.

[bzr]

As far as any preamp goes, it's worth owning!

[Alpinist]

Thanks guys! I took a long road trip to audition the 520 / 501 combo yesterday. The dealer connected the 540 player directly to the 501's and then introduced the 520 in the signal chain. The improvement was significant; increased transparency, nuance, texture, musicality and dynamics. The 520 is a wonderful sounding preamp! Hopefully, this will be a 2015 addition to my system.

Ken

[Mike]

The 501's are SWEET!


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[bzr]

Thanks guys! I took a long road trip to audition the 520 / 501 combo yesterday. The dealer connected the 540 player directly to the 501's and then introduced the 520 in the signal chain. The improvement was significant; increased transparency, nuance, texture, musicality and dynamics. The 520 is a wonderful sounding preamp! Hopefully, this will be a 2015 addition to my system.

On an interesting side note for the 501 owners out there, the dealer stated that he had the 701 monoblocks in his showroom but didn't care for their sound. Consequently, he sent them back to Soulution. He said that he much prefers the sound of the 501's...go figure.

Ken

Ken, it really is a gem of a pre-amp & I love mine, but i also liked these when I heard them yesterday too. The rest of the system wasn't too shabby either!




http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g338/_bzr_/IMG_0637_zpsd71e9080.jpg (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/_bzr_/media/IMG_0637_zpsd71e9080.jpg.html)http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g338/_bzr_/IMG_0633_zps6856008f.jpg (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/_bzr_/media/IMG_0633_zps6856008f.jpg.html)

[Alpinist]

Ken, it really is a gem of a pre-amp & I love mine, but i also liked these when I heard them yesterday too. The rest of the system wasn't too shabby either!




http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g338/_bzr_/IMG_0637_zpsd71e9080.jpg (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/_bzr_/media/IMG_0637_zpsd71e9080.jpg.html)http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g338/_bzr_/IMG_0633_zps6856008f.jpg (http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/_bzr_/media/IMG_0633_zps6856008f.jpg.html)

Wow Kev,

That is one heckuva system! Wouldn't you love to slide that into your living room. :) Thanks for the feedback on the 520. It seems like this decision is turning into a no brainer.

Best,
Ken

[bzr]

... your welcome, but alas, I'd have to buy a new house & rewire everything to get up to this pay grade. The power is straight to the system on a seperate line from the road.

[Alpinist]

Hey Everyone,

My Soulution 520 Preamp is in the house! I'm so excited that it came today. I can't wait to place it in my system with the Esoteric K-01, Soulution 501's and Revel Salon 2's. The timing worked out nicely because I'll get to listen with the Salon 2's for several days before I add the Raidho D3's. Much more fun to add one component at a time to hear the difference each new component makes.

Best,
Ken

[Mike]

Congrats Ken!

I can't believe you're being this patient with the new speakers.


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[Alpinist]

Congrats Ken!

I can't believe you're being this patient with the new speakers.


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LOL Mike. Hopefully they'll be in my system sometime next week. In the meantime I get to play with my new Soulution 520 and see what it adds to my existing system. That should keep my mind off the tall boxes sitting in the corner of my room. ;)

Best,
Ken

[MDP]

Hey Everyone,

My Soulution 520 Preamp is in the house! I'm so excited that it came today. I can't wait to place it in my system with the Esoteric K-01, Soulution 501's and Revel Salon 2's. The timing worked out nicely because I'll get to listen with the Salon 2's for several days before I add the Raidho D3's. Much more fun to add one component at a time to hear the difference each new component makes.

Best,
Ken

Fantastic Ken !!
You're going about it the right way.

[Ritmo]

Congrats Ken. What a world class system you've assembled. Enjoy the music!

[Alpinist]

Congrats Ken. What a world class system you've assembled. Enjoy the music!

Hey, thanks Mike! With all the gear that's been flying in and out of here lately, there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up. Cables, granite bases, dedicated lines, grounding, isolation, etc. But once I address the first two, I can take my time on the last three.

Best,
Ken

[bzr]

Congrats, Ken . I hope it's way better than you expect.

[Odyssey]

Hey Everyone,

My Soulution 520 Preamp is in the house! I'm so excited that it came today. I can't wait to place it in my system with the Esoteric K-01, Soulution 501's and Revel Salon 2's. The timing worked out nicely because I'll get to listen with the Salon 2's for several days before I add the Raidho D3's. Much more fun to add one component at a time to hear the difference each new component makes.

Best,
Ken

Ken, I predict many late nights for you. Congrats on the system coming together. You've been waiting for this day! I just moved my Soulution 530 from Chicago to Austin. Thought that would make me a happy camper. I was until David afforded me the opportunity pre out into his 501's. Wow I never thought using the 520 pre inside the 530 into the 501's would make such a difference! It is so much better. Clear step up. The 501's in this somewhat smaller room in Austin sound great on the Raidho D2's.

Keep us informed on how the D3's sound with the 520/501 combo when you get it set up.

I'd love to hear your impressions on the Salons too, when you come up for air :)

[Alpinist]

Ken, I predict many late nights for you. Congrats on the system coming together. You've been waiting for this day! I just moved my Soulution 530 from Chicago to Austin. Thought that would make me a happy camper. I was until David afforded me the opportunity pre out into his 501's. Wow I never thought using the 520 pre inside the 530 into the 501's would make such a difference! It is so much better. Clear step up. The 501's in this somewhat smaller room in Austin sound great on the Raidho D2's.

Keep us informed on how the D3's sound with the 520/501 combo when you get it set up.

I'd love to hear your impressions on the Salons too, when you come up for air :)

Thanks Le Roy!

I just placed the Soulution 520 in my system with the Kimber KS-1116 interconnects between my K-01 and the 520. The 520 is just out of the box and I am already hearing a substantial improvement over running direct from the K-01 to the Soulution 501's. There is an increased smoothness and natural warmth to the sound. Vocals on Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (192 kHz/24 bit WAV) sound absolutely liquid. I was not expecting this sort of improvement right out of the box. It sounds much better than the system I auditioned it on. I am mightily impressed with the 520.

I'm glad to hear that you had the chance to run the 530 as a preamp with the 501's. The 501's are indeed very special amps. Do you think you might add them to the stable? I bet it sounds outrageous with the D2's. It's going to be several days before I get the D3's set up. I'll let you know when they're up and running.

All the best,
Ken

[MDP]

I bet the Salons are really singing now :celebrate008_2:

[socfan12]

Ken, congrats! That's a great system you have assembled there. Happy listening!:audiophile:

[Alpinist]

I bet the Salons are really singing now :celebrate008_2:

Hi Mark,

The Salon 2's have never sounded better than they do right now and the 520 preamp is not even burned in yet. The place where I auditioned the 520 sounded broken in comparison. That's how great the Salon 2's are because every other component was essentially the same in their system as mine. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no maximum on what the Salon 2's can deliver as you continue to improve the components driving them. Wow!

Best,
Ken

[Alpinist]

Ken, congrats! That's a great system you have assembled there. Happy listening!:audiophile:

Thanks Allen, I'm having a lot of fun this weekend!

Ken

[MDP]

Hi Mark,

The Salon 2's have never sounded better than they do right now and the 520 preamp is not even burned in yet. The local dealer's system where I auditioned the 520 sounded broken in comparison. That's how great the Salon 2's are because every other component was essentially the same in their system as mine. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no maximum on what the Salon 2's can deliver as you continue to improve the components driving them. Wow!

Best,
Ken

Ken, truer words have never been spoke regarding the Salons. Mike is tired of me saying the same thing.

[Alpinist]

Second full day running the K-01/520/501/Salon2 system. The sound has already changed some from yesterday. The main difference is the top end has opened up some and bass seems tighter. The treble remains very smooth with just a hint of warmth. There is more density to midrange and bass than without the preamp. There is also more air around instruments and voices. None of the treble brightness I experienced when I added previous preamps. The 520 is a very fine preamp, much more than I expected. Kevin, you were right!

Ken

[Odyssey]

Second full day running the K-01/520/501/Salon2 system. The sound has already changed some from yesterday. The main difference is the top end has opened up some and bass seems tighter. The treble remains very smooth with just a hint of warmth. There is more density to midrange and bass than without the preamp. There is also more air around instruments and voices. None of the treble brightness I experienced when I added previous preamps. The 520 is a very fine preamp, much more than I expected. Kevin, you were right!

Ken

Isn't it great when you hear so much more information coming out of the speakers that you are so intimately familiar with than you thought was possible?

Have you found your second set of hands to maneuver the D3's into place this week?

[bzr]

Ken, I am really happy for you. It is such an uplifting experience to realise that having a world class preamp is way better than you would have thought possible. I honestly believe it is the soul of the system. I've tried to sell my 520 3 times now & just can't bring myself to do it. Congrats again!

[Alpinist]

Isn't it great when you hear so much more information coming out of the speakers that you are so intimately familiar with than you thought was possible?

Have you found your second set of hands to maneuver the D3's into place this week?

Definitely, Le Roy. It sounds like an entirely different system with the 520 than I've been listening to for the last 3 months.

It must be tough being away from all that fine gear in Chicagoland, especially with the new 725/711 combo. I bet you can't wait to get back up there when it gets a little warmer. But you're definitely not hurting with the Austin system. ;)

Best,
Ken

[Alpinist]

Ken, I am really happy for you. It is such an uplifting experience to realise that having a world class preamp is way better than you would have thought possible. I honestly believe it is the soul of the system. I've tried to sell my 520 3 times now & just can't bring myself to do it. Congrats again!

Thanks Kevin! You were all over it telling me I would be blown away when I was contemplating the purchase. You were so right. It does sound like the soul of the system. Now I know why used 520's usually sell in one day in the USA. But don't ever sell yours unless you are getting the 725. :)

Best,
Ken

[MikeCh]

I should find out tomorrow if my local dealer is going to help me with the D3 setup. They first indicated they would but now seem to be balking at the prospect. If they decide not to, I think I can handle it myself. I believe Cincy set up his D3's on his own. I'll just really take my time if I'm doing it myself.

Congrats on all the new gear Ken.

I have to say, your note that I've quoted above sure seems strange. Did you purchase the D3's from this local dealer that is balking at helping to set them up?

[Alpinist]

No, I didn't.

[MikeCh]

Thanks Mike!

No, I didn't purchase from my local dealer. He's not a Raidho dealer. That's probably why he's balking. ;)

Best,
Ken


Ok, gotcha that would explain the hesitation. Looks like you'll need to fly an AS member out to help instead!

p.s. I'm free toward the end of this week. :lol:

[the professor]

Are the stands attached already or do you have a 3rd box with the stands in it? The reason I ask, is: My walnut D3s didn't have the stands attached and I needed to attach them, but my black D3s (2nd version) had the stands already attached an they were really fairly easy to unbox and position once the box is in the same room as the final position.

Good luck.

[Alpinist]

Are the stands attached already or do you have a 3rd box with the stands in it? The reason I ask, is: My walnut D3s didn't have the stands attached and I needed to attach them, but my black D3s (2nd version) had the stands already attached an they were really fairly easy to unbox and position once the box is in the same room as the final position.

Good luck.

Hi Jock,

They are new Walnut D3 V2 and there is a third box with the stands. Are the stands difficult to assemble and attach to the speaker cabinet? Do you think one person can safely do it?

Thanks,
Ken

[Mike]

Hi Jock,

They are new Walnut D3 V2 and there is a third box with the stands. Are the stands difficult to assemble and attach to the speaker cabinet? Do you think one person can safely do it?

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,

I hate to tell you this, but only the stands for the v1's came in a separate box. The v2's shipped in bigger boxes with the stands on.

You may want to confirm, but I bet Mark, Jock, David and others will confirm.

Mike

[MDP]

For some strange reason, I think the Walnut stands have to be attached, the Black came fully assembled.

[RedSectorA]

Definitely, Le Roy. It sounds like an entirely different system with the 520 than I've been listening to for the last 3 months.

I should find out tomorrow if my local dealer is going to help me with the D3 setup. They first indicated they would but now seem to be balking at the prospect. If they decide not to, I think I can handle it myself. I believe Cincy set up his D3's on his own. I'll just really take my time if I'm doing it myself.

It must be tough being away from all that fine gear in Chicagoland, especially with the new 725/711 combo. I bet you can't wait to get back up there when it gets a little warmer. But you're definitely not hurting with the Austin system. ;)

Best,
Ken

If it doesn't work out with the dealer may I recommend Stirling Trayle, that's what he does for a living. You can call him at 707 494-5482 or can see his web site at Audio Systems Optimized Turntable Set Up - Loudspeaker Set Up (http://www.audiosystemsoptimized.com/) (beta mode). Nothing better than having SOTA speakers and system installed by a professional.

He does post once in a while on AS.

[the professor]

The stands are not hard to put on. There are 2 bolts that you screw the stand on to the speaker from the bottom of the speaker/stand.

I had my wife help me lift them out of the box and place horizontally on a foot stool we have for our couch. I bolted the stand on and then easily stood them up. I then walked the speaker the remaining 5 feet into position. You could also use some pillows or something to get the speaker 6 or 7 inches off the ground so it's easy to bolt the stand on.

I think Mark is correct - Walnut are shipped with stands not on and Black are shipped with the stands on. No clue why????

[Alpinist]

The stands are not hard to put on. There are 2 bolts that you screw the stand on to the speaker from the bottom of the speaker/stand.

I had my wife help me lift them out of the box and place horizontally on a foot stool we have for our couch. I bolted the stand on and then easily stood them up. I then walked the speaker the remaining 5 feet into position. You could also use some pillows or something to get the speaker 6 or 7 inches off the ground so it's easy to bolt the stand on.

I think Mark is correct - Walnut are shipped with stands not on and Black are shipped with the stands on. No clue why????

Hi Jock,

This is terrific information. Thanks so much!!! We own a long ottoman that we could lay the speakers down on and attach the bases. All in all, it sounds pretty simple. We may just do it ourselves like you did.

Best,
Ken

[Mike]

For some strange reason, I think the Walnut stands have to be attached, the Black came fully assembled.

I confirmed today. You are correct. Phew!


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[PacMan]

Hey Everyone,

My Soulution 520 Preamp is in the house! I
Best,
Ken
Congratulations, Ken !
Soulution makes gear which measurements are top notch.

[PacMan]

Do you have any photos of your room by the way?

[Alpinist]

Congratulations, Ken !
Soulution makes gear which measurements are top notch.

Thanks PacMan! The 520 is a wonderful preamp and has provided a much bigger bump in performance than I ever could have expected when combined with the 501 mono amps. The music has become much smoother and more nuanced with greater air around voices and instruments than without the preamp. It will be staying for a long time!

Best,
Ken