Thread: Essence Stereo - To Preamp or Not??

Hello All,

I badly need advice; I am heading towards purchasing an Essence stereo amp but question whether the Essence preamp is a necessity? Many reviews state that the combination is fantastic, and each unit complements the other. I will run a digital system only. How much will the Essence preamp improve sound quality? My dilemma, as is most everybody's, is budget. If I purchase the combo, I have to economize on a digital source, albeit I can easily upgrade as funds provide. If I omit the Essence preamp, I could stretch into an MSB Premier running direct (maybe). I really could use some insights. I do like the benefit of the green bias that the combo offers. My wife likes to play background music, and burning up the grid with class A serves no benefit for that application. Sorry to sound like a babbling idiot, but my experience is mainly with integrated systems. I'm a novice when it comes to separates. I know many agree that the addition of a preamp adds some sweetness. In my case, does the addition of the preamp fall under the "law of diminishing returns"? My goal is to build an end-game system (even if some steps are involved in the process).

Thanks!

I’d get the preamp + MSB discrete instead.

John,
My nearest dealer is in MA.

Rick,

Thanks for all your help and PMs. I did not know of your "trials and tribulations" to get to the finish line. BTW, most reviews that compare Essence to Diablo state that the bass produced by Essence is much better than Diablo because of its gigantic reserve capacitance? Can you elaborate? I do agree that the Essence is the perfect foundation to build upon. I certainly can upgrade my digital end over time.

Originally Posted by Remi

Rick,

Thanks for all your help and PMs. I did not know of your "trials and tribulations" to get to the finish line. BTW, most reviews that compare Essence to Diablo state that the bass produced by Essence is much better than Diablo because of its gigantic reserve capacitance? Can you elaborate? I do agree that the Essence is the perfect foundation to build upon. I certainly can upgrade my digital end over time.

User reviews I have read generally agree with Rick's characterization of Essence vs Diablo bass. Essence bass more articulate, but Diablo has more gravitas. This is likely somewhat speaker dependent. Essence capacitance no doubt helps, but at the end of the day, it's still only 50 watts. In the case of efficient speakers like Fyne, I'd guess Essence bass would be a good match.

If you're inclined to go the pre route, a good alternative to the Essence at about half the price would be the Pass XP-22.

I was finally able to demo a Diablo 300 and Essence stereo. They were fed by a DCS Bartok and Rockport speakers (not sure model). We did not utilize a preamp. I thought the bass was great with the 300, but the midrange and highs sounded bright. The Essence had less bass, but it was more refined. The midrange and highs were excellent. I feel neither paired well with the DCS. It appeared that the sonic signature of the DCS came through (very fatiguing). I wish the dealer had a wider range of DACs to pair with. As crazy as this sounds, a few years ago, I listened to a Luxman 20W class A fed by an entry-level Naim streamer which was far more engaging than those above. The MSRP of that system was approximately $20K. I'm a little disappointed and unsure what gives since the system I auditioned was north of $60K? I really think the DCS tainted the audition.