Allnic. L3000 Mk. II

**Tbadder** · March 17, 2016, 06:06 PM

Okay the new preamp has been installed, fired up, and given its first good listen. Any discussion of the Allnic has to start with my amp, the Maker Audio Reference 2a stereoblock. The amp is the most preamp sounding piece of power I've ever encountered. It is ruthlessly true to the source. So every crappy cd or lp I own sounds like either dirt or shards of glass. Of course if the recording is beguiling then I am entranced; if the cd is like clarified butter then I get all the detail in a lush background. It's biggest strength is detail retrieval, and of course at 375 WPC it has prodigious grunt.

The Allnic is one of those thoroughly modern preamps that are tubed, but not really tubey sounding. Oh, there's definitely the tonal and textured emphasis of tubes, but none of that goes overboard. Rather what it excels most at is dimensionality. It elongates the soundstage front to back and fills in any authenticity that seems to be missing. Woodwinds are more true their reediness. Drum thwacks are sharpened but the hollowness of the bass drum remains intact. There is an increase in lushness but think the smallest increase one would normally notice. It is a welcome addition for me. Everything including the dirt and the glass feels more exact without being "exacting".

**jadedavid** · March 17, 2016, 09:05 PM

Excellent, Thanks for the update.
You've nailed it with the dimensionality and the more modern sonic signature of this pre. Also to mention is how low the noise floor is. Super quiet.
Glad that you are enjoying it.

**Mike** · March 17, 2016, 09:41 PM

Congrats! I've always been very impressed with Allnic gear. Tubes rule!

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**Kuoppis** · March 18, 2016, 02:04 AM

I am considering a phono-pre upgrade and am thinking about the Allnic H1500 II Plus or the Zesto Andros 1.2. Any exprerience with the smaller brother (or either of them for that matter)?

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**Tbadder** · March 19, 2016, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Kuoppis

I am considering a phono-pre upgrade and am thinking about the Allnic H1500 II Plus or the Zesto Andros 1.2. Any exprerience with the smaller brother (or either of them for that matter)?

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Sorry friend. No experience here. But I'm so impressed with the build quality. Mine really is tank-like. If the rest of the line is like that, well, it bespeaks of quality and longevity.

**Tbadder** · March 19, 2016, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by jadedavid

Excellent, Thanks for the update.
You've nailed it with the dimensionality and the more modern sonic signature of this pre. Also to mention is how low the noise floor is. Super quiet.
Glad that you are enjoying it.

You know David I put my ear right in the cone and couldn't hear a thing. It really is shockingly quiet for a tube piece.

**Paul** · March 19, 2016, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Kuoppis

I am considering a phono-pre upgrade and am thinking about the Allnic H1500 II Plus or the Zesto Andros 1.2. Any exprerience with the smaller brother (or either of them for that matter)?

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The Allnic phono stage are real gem in my opinion. I had the H1500 and H1201 in my set up heard many times with the H3000 as well.

The H1500 was very nice sounding gear but with tons of tubes in side though ( if I remember correctly more than 9 tubes in ) - I thought it was just little too much tubes and heat. However I find the H1201 does 95% of H1500.

Hope that helps.

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**Kuoppis** · March 20, 2016, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by Paul

The Allnic phono stage are real gem in my opinion. I had the H1500 and H1201 in my set up heard many times with the H3000 as well.

The H1500 was very nice sounding gear but with tons of tubes in side though ( if I remember correctly more than 9 tubes in ) - I thought it was just little too much tubes and heat. However I find the H1201 does 95% of H1500.

Hope that helps.

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Thanks Paul for sharing, good insights. I was not aware the H1201 would perform so close to the H1500.

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**Walter** · March 20, 2016, 06:36 PM

The Allnic is excellent in many ways.

**magoo** · April 22, 2016, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Paul

The Allnic phono stage are real gem in my opinion. I had the H1500 and H1201 in my set up heard many times with the H3000 as well.

The H1500 was very nice sounding gear but with tons of tubes in side though ( if I remember correctly more than 9 tubes in ) - I thought it was just little too much tubes and heat. However I find the H1201 does 95% of H1500.

Hope that helps.

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I just recently bought a lightly used 1201, and imho it's stunning, and the dimensionality is certainly there. I got to hear the 300b Integrated amp recently at a show, driving some modified Snell E speakers and that was simply astonishing, but this little phono stage has a sprinkling of that same magic, and the flexibility is also excellent, I intend getting a second arm on the Spacedeck and running a mono cartridge into the mm stage at some point. At the price I payed it was a bargain, but even if I'd payed full price I'd still be very happy!

**Mike** · April 22, 2016, 05:12 PM

This brand has taken it on the chin lately. I sure hope they come fighting back. I love their stuff. The 5000DHT Phono must be INSANE!!!

**kev313** · April 22, 2016, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

This brand has taken it on the chin lately. I sure hope they come fighting back. I love their stuff. The 5000DHT Phono must be INSANE!!!

I haven't been following the brand too closely lately, but I'm a former owner of the 300b integrated. How / why have they been taking it in the chin?

**Mike** · April 22, 2016, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by kev313

I haven't been following the brand too closely lately, but I'm a former owner of the 300b integrated. How / why have they been taking it in the chin?

The three "R's": reviews, resale and reliability.

**kev313** · April 22, 2016, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

The three "R's": reviews, resale and reliability.

Interesting. Don't really follow the reviews, but mine broke (and I got limited help from the distributor) and I took a bath, an absolute brutal beating, on the resale. As to build quality, it reminded me of Wavac. Impressive outside. Not so much inside.

**Mark Jones** · April 22, 2016, 08:34 PM

1201 or the 3000, IMHO.

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