dodger Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Greetings: I have been offered in trade for tubes, an Anthem TLP 1 pre-amp. Does anyone have experience with Anthem, their quality, sound etc? Advice or comments would be appreciated. Win dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Win, I have a dead Athem AMP-1 on my bench ... It keeps blowing fuses when I hit the power button. The tubes are fine so something else is going on. Maybe someone here will have an idea. I talked to Jeff Lessard about Anthem, and he didn't have a lot of positive things to say about them. He said their designs drove the tubes at the max end of their specs, shortening the tube life considerably. He felt comfortable, I think, criticizing them since they are a Canadian company. He just said they were out to make a buck, not generate great designs. Just thought I'd pass that along. Take it as another data point Good luck tomorrow, BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Hello Win, I wouldnt go there. It's an ok preamp but there are SO many other options for the same amount of money or less that do a heck of a lot better on all fronts. Personally, I would hold off for cash or a better deal. See the last few preamp threads for some thoughts. Of course, others may differ here. Weigh it in with all the rest of the input. I have never been overly impressed with Anthem for 2 Channel at least not with all the excellent competition. kh ps - Chris...ahh...., now I see where you go with your questions! heh.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted August 25, 2003 Author Share Posted August 25, 2003 Greetings: Thanks for the advice. You know, asking other people for their advice is like a shot in the dark, BUT at least I KNOW I can get real advice on this Forum. And I can Believe it! Thanks, enjoy your nights - Kelly did you get my email? I have to tell everyone, Chris and Doug made out like Bandits. It's a good thing we didn't go one town over or my cousin would have thrown us all in the pokey! Thanks Again! Win dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Anthem TLP 1 ? No such animal that I'm aware of. Pre1L maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I just assumed he was really talking about the SF/Anthem - ASSEMBLAGE Kits... which are patterned after SF gear loosely. Remember they had an L-1 kit preamp? I have a catalog for it from years ago. Damn, I sure wish these parts and prices were still good!!! Otherwise, it has to be the Pre-1L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 ---------------- On 8/25/2003 3:36:26 PM mobile homeless wrote: kh ps - Chris...ahh...., now I see where you go with your questions! heh.... ---------------- Kelly, you surprise me. You've forgotten (already) about the 9,000 emails I've sent you over the last two years? Most contained really STUPID questions that were answered by a BGO (brilliant glimpse of the obvious). It was actually funny (or sad) that this subject came up with Jeff. He gave me the straight answer and I realized what a dope I was with these two beasts. OTOH, it made the journey towards betterment a meaningful one at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Chris, the problem with your AMP1 is the power switch. This a well known problem with those. Get a new switch from Anthem -- they are cake to solder in. I don't know why Jeff would say that about the Anthem gear. I've always liked it, and still do. Always well reviewed, and very well built. The AMP1 has fixed (adjustable) bias, and if I'm remembering things right, the tubes are run well within tolerance. If Jeff's comments were in relationship to the preamps, then the problem is the same problem experienced by those who use the Audible Illusions unit. Put 6DJ8's in a unit designed around the 6922, and no, they're not going to last very long. I suppose it's no secret here that I really have no problem with the 6922 tube. Though the preamps I've had over here recently offer better inner detail and dynamics -- the Sonic Frontiers Line 1 and Anthem Pre1L's (I've owned two) throw very spatial soundstages. A little rich and thick, which ends up working out really well with solid state. Considering that a used Pre1L can be had for $400, and offers two main outs (for biamping or subwoofer), tape input, processor loop, actually has a balance control, nifty internal switches for adjusting the gain, a huge transformer, and excellent build quality -- means I don't think it should be written off so quickly. I've seen Pre2L's go for $475. This little bit of extra means you get an Alps motorized attenuator and remote. In the right system, I don't think there's a damn thing wrong with the 6922. http://www.soundstage.com/das_pram.htm http://www.anthemav.com/OldSitev1/frames/otherfr.html http://www.anthemav.com/OldSitev1/pdf/pre1l.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 First of all, I just realized the TLP1 is a new preamp-tuner from Anthem that is NOT EVEN A TUBE PREAMP! It uses high quality OP-AMPS! IT has a number of bells and whistles... and not even a remote cousin of their tube pre(although it DOES have a remote). Who knows what it sounds like... I havent heard a SS preamp I really liked in TOO long, no matter the cost. You need to hear it for yourself. Hell, I sold ever single solid state unit I owned (FET/Discrete etc)and I owned a few nice models. http://www.anthemav.com/NewSitev2.0/AnthemProduct/TLP1/TLP1.html Dean, just curious, where is your 6922 preamp? I have heard several Anthem pieces and I just dont think they rank up there with other preamps. They are ok but, to me, dont stand out from other units that actually cost less, such as the Wright Sound unit or even the AE-3. Hell Dean, you sold your unit in record time! Regardless, you are right in that a lot of these preamps do sound good, and much better than the SS gear at the same level. Tube preamps on the whole are more overachievers than the solid state counterparts. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Well, with the information you just dug up, I'm sure we can agree to tell Win to stay the hell away from that thing. Your last set of sentences sums up what I was really getting at. You give up some sound quality to get the additional features, and at a price many can afford. As far as the 6922 goes, I think it's a good tube, but OTOH -- I wouldn't use the Anthem Pre1L as the supreme example of what can be done with that tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 ---------------- On 8/25/2003 10:38:35 PM DeanG wrote: Chris, the problem with your AMP1 is the power switch. This a well known problem with those. Get a new switch from Anthem -- they are cake to solder in. ---------------- Dean, thanks for that tip. Appreciate it. I'll get one on order and get this off the bench. Anybody care for a AMP1 for a reasonable price? It's 40WPC and I'll let it go for $275. Tubes are all strong and the sound is actually pretty pleasing. I was using it in my HT system for about a year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 You're going to unload an $1200 power amp for $300 because of a bad $5 power switch? Man, I thought I was a loon. That's really a nice sounding amp. Is this what SET does to people? Yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louis Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Chris I am interested in amp LSILVER507@aol.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 26, 2003 Share Posted August 26, 2003 Dean, these actually do sound very nice ... perhaps some of this is the "SET Effect" but they sell on Ebay for $375 quite often. I don't know if they've gotten a bad rap somewhere but they're high powered tube amps and exhibit some nice clarity and detail. I'm just a sucker for SET. What can I say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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