News Flash: Peach AND VRD's installed - and yet another addiction is born.

[Audible Nectar]

Count us as another impressed recipient of a new JM preamp[] Also known as "Just another glowing review". Or as ESPN's Chris Berman would say, "This just in......they're pretty good[]" So if you are tired of positive JM reviews, you have been warned in advance. This one has a twist, though........

The project: Set up a quality 2 channel system for a married couple who are dear friends of mine. My audio adventures and hobby are beginning to rub off on others, and now it's time for our Cornwall owning couple to get some electronics that will do those speakers justice.

Ever since my visit to Craig's, the JM preamps have been "the wanted preamp" - absolutely the recommended preamp line at their respective price points. When I made that visit, I wasn't shopping for a preamp.....but I sure got sold on one during the process. My rebuilt McIntosh MX110 has been a "giant slayer" of sorts on it's own......I have plugged that preamp into many systems, replacing preamps of MUCH higher cost, and never found any substantial evidence that made me want to upgrade, or to buy into a different preamp. Sure there were better ones, but not four times the price better ones......

Until now.

The Peach was "the chosen one" by our owners to be because vinyl is not a future consideration (at least as far as they currently know, hehe) - they are late 20 somethings, living in a CD, file server, and Ipod world. Yet they do understand the importance of sound quality, and also are considering an expansion of the system into HT, so the Peach fits in very nicely into that scheme, by way of the HT bypass feature. Larger Heritage mains may also be in their future, where the Cornwalls play a differing role...so the Peach does give them the best feature fit amonst the JM line. "New" or close to new was preferred, instead of vintage gear, where rebuilding considerations would be an issue.....and the fact that modern preamps are truly a better option, IMO - where vintage preamps are not as sonically viable vs modern offerings on a dollar for dollar basis. Mark proves we can do more now with a little over a thou......

The Peach was also the chosen preamp because they trusted me[]

Since the Peach had no power amps for our new owners to hook it up to in their home (VRD's on order - NICE[]), we decided to break it in over here (that kinda sucks, huh?), where it could be tested on a variety of equipment: Belle Klipsch, with three different versions of rebuilt McIntosh MC30 power amplifiers, two different disc players, and even a pump through some SS amplification to see just how sweet this Peach keeps things. Which is to say, we threw just about everything we could at it: Good recordings, those not so good 70's classic rock recordings, the extremely digital recordings, the extremely sibilant recordings.....and with a variety of equipment. I like to PUSH the envelope through the selected recordings: SURE I know it will sound good with a stellar recording, but will it make those lesser recordings listenable?

This preamp strikes an incredible balance of accuracy with the ability to show the recording in it's best light. So we began the parade of "poorly recorded 1970's" CD fare: Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours", home of 1970's sucky bass personified. Not to mention those female voices. So let's see what we can make of that! One requirement of any system FOR ME and for our new owners is that it make the lesser recordings listenable.

AND IT DOES. While the JM preamps REVEAL, they also EXTRACT. Which is to say that they make the most of the music signal you give it. For those like me who demand listenability from those older recordings, you will be pleased, because the Peach extracts while not masking or veiling. It brings the best of the music to the fore. Those older 1970's recordings never sounded as good as they do now. And when you pump that signal through Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7 loaded MC30's........OHHHHHHHH[] Stevie gets MUCH younger again!!!!

So while the Peach does not hide the fact that these older CD transfers aren't the best recordings, it does make the most of what you give the Peach. A musical extractor, indeed.

Then we move on to the "sibilance" test. One of the most ruthless recordings in the collection is Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Brain Salad Surgery" - and the first track, "Jerusalem". ANY UNCLEAN componentry will cause the snares and cymbals to be converted to grating HASH, in a big hurry. This track has tossed more components in it's 20 year existence than any other track I have. Cheap parts get exposed here. Yet, a component can also be busted for "masking".....do the cymbals and snares finish clean? What of their timbre? It's absolute hell for unqualified components......and the Peach made the most of this. Again, as good as I've ever heard it. It will never be perfect - it's not a good recording - but it can be made listenable with good equipment. Then, of course, I let the machine play through "Still, You Turn Me On"...........[]

Then, the "digititis" test: Find the most "digital" sounding recording you can find (in this case, The String Cheese Incident's "Outside, Inside" - Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" works good, too). This is also known as the "Steely" test. Play this through most solid state gear, and you'll find out if you dislike "Steely" sound very quickly (which also then qualifies you to buy tube gear). These discs will bring fatigue - STAT. With the Peach, problem solved. The recording is still very detailed and still somewhat clinical (a testament to the lack of "masking" by the Peach), yet it is much more pleasing and less fatiguing to the ear. The guitars sound much more liquid and flowing - yet every last detail is still present (fingering, the "finishing off" of the release of the fretboards and strings, etc are just flawless). Very much like you are in the studio with SCI, as that recording is very "studio" sounding.....and on the "EC - Unplugged" CD, I pay particular attention to the clapping by the audience. If what you are hearing back there sounds like frying eggs, there is a problem with one or more components in the audio path....it's another disc I use to throw out lesser components......yet that clapping can be now "picked out" and sonically isolated by the listener, instead of hearing a more continuous layer of frying sounds.

Then a trip through all manner of classic rock stuff: The Who's "Tommy", Traveling Wilbury's "Vol. 1", Steely Dan's "Aja", and then migrating to the more "fidelity" oriented selections - MFSL's release of Supertramp's "Crime of the Century". Now the Peach and system REALLY began to shine with the better recordings. Then I played the first five tracks of Pink Floyd's "The Wall". []. [][]. [][][]. Clarity, fluidity, and slam deluxe!!! Just WOW. What I find so endearing about this preamp is the natural way it "lets go" when the real clean and dynamic material gets played through it....and the lack of stridency. You aren't listening to a machine - you are listening to MUSIC. EVERYTHING sounds so natural - especially the lower registers, where it is hard to avoid "heavy footed" or exaggerated bass. Want a kick drum to sound like a kick drum? Start with a JM pre....the bass area is where the JM line SCHOOLS my rebuilt McIntosh MX110 - JM bass is always in balance. I never once wanted to reach for a bass and treble knob. It's THAT "right". And impact???? Hehehehehehehe......

Not to mention the way this thing "images". The mids and highs are REALLY righteous in the system....with just the right amount of "tube magic". Artists like Tracy Chapman, Karl Denson, Jackson Browne, Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Frank Zappa really show off the instruments and what those instruments should sound like. MORE than the "specs" - things like frequency response, distortion, and the "technical" aspects of equipment is the question: DOES IT SOUND LIKE MUSIC?? Does it image like it should? Does it image better than you ever heard from your Klipsch before????? Yeah, baybee, it sure does.

So I think we've thrown quite a bit at this preamp over the last 2 1/2 weeks, and it's yet to budge an inch (save for swapping a microphonic tube). The solid and simple nature of the piece is appreciated by all of us. EVERYBODY likes what they are hearing, too. The new owners have spent a fair amount of time listening, and they're quite pleased.

Then ask Mark about the emails I sent asking about this and that, hehe[] and you'll know we went over it good (the shipping gods were not kind, and while we did read the manual, we still asked a LOT about the gain pots).......so I think it's safe to say it passed all tests. The gain controls did take a bit of repeated mental self drilling to get used to, but once set, worked out just fine.

As for the MX110, I still plan to keep it, and might have a few more well placed cap replacements done on it, as I think I can still squeeze some more performance out of the unit. I have always enjoyed listening to that pre......I still think it's a value hit for a vintage Mac. Yet I see a future for a JM preamp in my systems, too - adding a Peach to the HT with my second set of MC30's sounds like a good way to juice up the 2 channel sound in the HT, dontcha think?

So a big thanks to Mark for not only pleasing our ears........but for making me look so good[] I've got a hunch that Craig will do the same once the VRD's get here. While a considerable investment, they have watched and listened along my path, and wanted to get a system they could buy and get to the enjoyment phase in the most direct way possible. I think in that regard, the Peach/VRD combo will be a smashing success.

And thus another home will be "Klipsched".

[]

[Parrot]

A very enjoyable review to read. Thanks for posting.

[NOSValves]

Dave,

as always a great balanced job.

Craig

[Daddy Dee]

Audible,

Thanks for posting the excellent review.

It really is enjoyable to play a JM preamp for others who appreciate good sound.

[Daddy Dee]

My favorite JM showoff story is one that Sheltie Dave told. He had a buddy, a somewhat competetive fellow, I surmise, over to hear his new BlueBerry. The fellow brings along his VTL Ultimate, or some such well regarded preamp. He hears the BlueBerry and leaves grumbling about the sound, with his own preamp in tow.

One word of advice to anyone who wants to bring their own preamp to go head to head with a JM preamp. Don't do it, unless you are prepared for some humility.

Since I've been using JM preamps in my system, humility takes a little more work. Now, for example, if I need some humilty I have to go and do something, like hit a bucket at the driving range. Now, that is an humbling experience.

[customsteve01]

I see Juicy music and VRD's in my future. Some day.................

And with revues like that how could you not want one.

Steve

[Colin]

nice![]

[Cut-Throat]

Mark,

Have you ever sold a 'Peach' to anyone in the Minneapolis area (or within a few hundred miles) that would be willing to give an audition?

[Audible Nectar]

I very vividly remember Sheltie Dave's story. That made quite an impression, even to read it. And I seem to remember Paul Parrot being an early adopter, too - and given his no BS style, figured if it made him happy, it must be good. Then Craig had one - and after hearing his - well, hearing is believing.

For me, it says something to be able to just tell a friend to "buy this preamp and satisfaction is guaranteed", then have that be the case. What of ANYTHING can you say that with? Now admittedly, these folks are not of the experienced audiophile sort (although he plays guitar through tubes, and they do lots of listening here), but I know damn well that when and if they try to pick it apart sonically, they will do so to no avail. They will spend a helluvalotta money to knock that out of the system. I don't expect they will even try.....that was the point in the first place.

Daddy Dee's comment "be prepared for some humility" is very apt - and a classic statement[] In Jim Rome style "smack talk" one might say that "your preamp should be prepared to have it's ahhhhhhhss handed to it, and to be sure to bring it's 'A-Game' before even considering getting in the ring. There's college - and then there's pro."

......and it's on a semi-pro budget. It isn't just the sonics - it's the price that really turns heads. I've heard a lot of system preamps (many costing much more than JM) but never heard one I liked as much as the JM anywhere NEAR the price. Many times, something you immediately like grows tiring or you "figure out the trick"......like an old pop song. Not this. It's like a classic piece of music that just grows more and more on you over time. ADDICTIVE.

[BS Button]

I've had no less than three solid state amps hooked to mine and once I got rid of my ground loop problems it appears that almost anything sounds good behind the Peach. It is truly amazing...

[Cut-Throat]

Have you ever sold a 'Peach' to anyone in the Minneapolis area (or within a few hundred miles) that would be willing to give an audition?

========

There's a Peach in Granstburg, WI. Not sure how far away that is, but if you are interested I could contact him.

md

Mark,

Grantsburg is not too far away at all. I sold my Klipsch Belles to 'DoubleJ' a forum member who lives in Grantsburg. Funny if it turned out to be him!

Sure go ahead and contact him. If he wants he could bring the Peach down to my Place and hear some Khorns with Altec Mid Range Drivers, 2A3 Moondogs and Welborne DRD45s. I am currently using the Welborne Reveille (2 - 6SN7s) for a Pre-amp. - It would be fun and hopefully humiliating. Nothing I would like better than a 'Peach' to blow away my current pre-amp. I'd order one in a heartbeat!

Are a Peach , Blueberry and Blueberry Extreme basically the same, except the Blueberries have a Phono Section and the Peach is just for Digital Sources? Do I have this correct. I looked at your website and was a little confused on Peach, Blueberry, and Xtreme.

Give him my e-mail - kdbmeb@gmail.com

Thanks!

[NOSValves]

Have you ever sold a 'Peach' to anyone in the Minneapolis area (or within a few hundred miles) that would be willing to give an audition? ======== There's a Peach in Granstburg, WI. Not sure how far away that is, but if you are interested I could contact him. md

Mark,

Grantsburg is not too far away at all. I sold my Klipsch Belles to 'DoubleJ' a forum member who lives in Grantsburg. Funny if it turned out to be him!

Sure go ahead and contact him. If he wants he could bring the Peach down to my Place and hear some Khorns with Altec Mid Range Drivers, 2A3 Moondogs and Welborne DRD45s. I am currently using the Welborne Reveille (2 - 6SN7s) for a Pre-amp. - It would be fun and hopefully humiliating. Nothing I would like better than a 'Peach' to blow away my current pre-amp. I'd order one in a heartbeat!

Are a Peach , Blueberry and Blueberry Extreme basically the same, except the Blueberries have a Phono Section and the Peach is just for Digital Sources? Do I have this correct. I looked at your website and was a little confused on Peach, Blueberry, and Xtreme.

Give him my e-mail - kdbmeb@gmail.com

Thanks!

Cut-Throat

It is Double J and his Peach is currently in storage waiting to have a power amp to be mated with it. The Stock ST70/Peach combo he was running doesn't float his boat. I just talked to him earlier today and we have an extreme complete point to point wired ST70 project planned. This could be a great opportunity for you to haul your amps to his place or him the preamp to your house for a audition. He also has a very nice 299C in his system that you might want to give a listen.

Craig

[Cut-Throat]

Craig,

If you talk to him again, mention that he is welcome for a visit to my place to hear my system, now that I have it set up with proper corners. I have a variety of amps that he can plug his peach into. Super Amp, Moondogs, DRD45s - Even Solid Scrape! - He did hear my Altec/Khorn Combo last summer, but it has been greatly improved since then, as well as the room!

[Parrot]

I very vividly remember Sheltie Dave's story. That made quite an impression, even to read it. And I seem to remember Paul Parrot being an early adopter, too - and given his no BS style, figured if it made him happy, it must be good. Then Craig had one - and after hearing his - well, hearing is believing.

I've almost hit the two-year mark on my BlueBerry. I have one of the rare non-Xtreme ones. One of the things I like about it is its balance--not too soft, not too incisive, but just right. So even though I liked it from the start, it wasn't because of some kind of initial splashy presentation that would quickly get tiresome, but just the opposite--recognizing it was a piece of quality equipment I could probably be happy with forever.

Since the BlueBerry has such an engaging phono stage, it's also had the effect of increasing my interest in vinyl. It's great fun playing all these 10-cent, all the way up to a dollar, 30-, 40-, and 50-year-old LPs I've been amassing.

And I'm glad the BlueBerry is not just another black box.

[Audible Nectar]

Well, it's the last weekend I'll get to enjoy the Peach here, as it will be going to its permanent residence once the VRD's arrive there. Soooooo, I'm making absolutely sure to get a full weekend's listening time in just one day[]

Thanks to my friend Ian for allowing us to break it in here - and thanks to Craig for the waiting time on his VRD's so I could borrow the pre[]. I can assure you I made productive use of that time.

Paul has it right: It is VERY well balanced. No need for bass and treble controls here! While the Peach sounds good initially right out of the box, one might suspect one would tire of it. NOT A CHANCE.

It will be hard to see it go - now we'll see how long it takes them to tire of me hanging out at their house[]

[Audible Nectar]

I'll be using my MX-110 when the Peach leaves here. My complaint on the 110 is that it is a bit "heavy footed" in the bass. I am tempted to try a tube roll on the MX-110 (requires a good pair of 6U8) to a tube that is a bit brighter and less bass heavy. I'm using a Siemens 6U8 pair now. I have been reluctant to tube roll this because of the difficulty finding 6U8 in linestage quality (not much out there through dealers), but I'm tempted to begin looking for these.

By no means do I expect the 110 to ever elevate to the sonics of the Peach, but I do believe that I can squeeze a bit better performance from it. My biggest issue with the JM line is I have no idea what unit I would want to purchase anyway.....would I go Peach or BB? I am certainly torn between the possibilities of having both HT and 2 channel combined in one room, or having them separate in a future dwelling (as my current dwelling is temporary) - then throw the "vinyl or not" question into the equation and I have a big confusing mess. So even if I WAS to immediately buy a JM, I'm not sure which configuration to buy.

So I will likely keep the 110 for a time until I ultimately decide what is best overall. There is no question that the Peach/JM line is a better pre - but since I will keep the 110 in the system for a time, I figure I might as well make the most of it. Since I also have a lot on my plate with my MC30 rebuilds (two pairs to boot), that should keep me plenty busy while I contemplate all of this.

It's been a good month of listening.

[Cal Blacksmith]

Darn! only another "glowing review" By the title of the thread I thought it was rigged as an IED DARN![^o)]

[Travis In Austin]

I'll be using my MX-110 when the Peach leaves here. My complaint on the 110 is that it is a bit "heavy footed" in the bass. I am tempted to try a tube roll on the MX-110 (requires a good pair of 6U8) to a tube that is a bit brighter and less bass heavy. I'm using a Siemens 6U8 pair now. I have been reluctant to tube roll this because of the difficulty finding 6U8 in linestage quality (not much out there through dealers), but I'm tempted to begin looking for these.

By no means do I expect the 110 to ever elevate to the sonics of the Peach, but I do believe that I can squeeze a bit better performance from it. My biggest issue with the JM line is I have no idea what unit I would want to purchase anyway.....would I go Peach or BB? I am certainly torn between the possibilities of having both HT and 2 channel combined in one room, or having them separate in a future dwelling (as my current dwelling is temporary) - then throw the "vinyl or not" question into the equation and I have a big confusing mess. So even if I WAS to immediately buy a JM, I'm not sure which configuration to buy.

So I will likely keep the 110 for a time until I ultimately decide what is best overall. There is no question that the Peach/JM line is a better pre - but since I will keep the 110 in the system for a time, I figure I might as well make the most of it. Since I also have a lot on my plate with my MC30 rebuilds (two pairs to boot), that should keep me plenty busy while I contemplate all of this.

It's been a good month of listening.

Audible,

Did you ever find a good source for 6u8's and something you liked the sound on? The original telefunkens finally gave out on mine. I think I just have to dive in and replace them with NOS Telefunkens but they are so hard to find and they are sooooooooo expensive. Wondering if you found anything you liked that was better priced and available.

Travis

[Gilbert]

DWI, what kind of prices have you been seeing on 6U8's (aka ECF82's)? It's been a while since I bought some (2 years ago), but they were readily available 2 years ago.

I have several 6U8's, in various forms (i.e. Mullard, Telef., Siemens, Valvo and RCA's). All are NOS, NIB...some still sealed in the factory celophane.Yes, I went wild stockpiling, but if you come up dry, I may part with one or two.

[Audible Nectar]

Other than the Telefunkens, 6U8 traditionally aren't that expensive....the Siemens are "mid priced" at about 30-40 per pair NOS, and most brands cost even less than that. I take a "buckshot" approach - I buy 'em by the sleeve, then have them tested and roll in until I find a pair that stays quiet. I have at times installed 6U8 that lasted a week or two, then begin shorting/static. So it can be a bit of trial and error.

Watch the Valvos in particular, though - I bought a sleeve of these, and got tubes from three different manufacturers.....all same label and look.

As far as specific sources.....well, not really anyone off the top of my head that has 'em.....aside from Kevin at Upscale Audio, whom I believe has some Tungsram 6U8 in stock. The 6U8 isn't really a highly sought out tube, though - so often dealers will have them, just not "prominently featured" as a high $$$ tube. The Teles seem to be the main 6U8 people pay $$$ for due to the OEM status they had in the 60's. I REALLY liked my Telefunkens in my MX110, but one of 'em went static, and I was never able to get replacements that stayed quiet (4 different used versions - none held).

When it comes to linestage use, the 6U8 reminds me much of the 6DJ8's - it can be a bit of a challenge finding linestage quality versions. The good news is that most 6U8 are not that expensive.