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[前級] 美國 First Sound Presence Deluxe MK 3

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發表於 2016-10-20 11:46:56 | 顯示全部樓層 |閱讀模式
First Sound Presence Deluxe MK 3
review at 6 moon by Chris Redmond

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Amidst my ramblings in the UK's Audio World 2011 show report is a mention of the Daedalus Audio/First Sound/Modwright room showcasing the DA-RMa speakers, AMR CD-77, First Sound valve preamp and Modwright KW150 Special Edition class A/B amp. Also mentioned was an after-show listening session resulting in my interest to review either the Modwright amp or First Sound. A subsequent offer from designer Emmanuel Go later in the year ensured the latter was being shipped to my good self.


Holder of a Bachelors Degree in History/Political Science, Emmanuel's journey into preamp design is an interesting one. Introduced to high end audio in the 10th grade, he had always been keen on sound, music and electronics and by 1988 had built a high-end system using a CD player with volume control. After borrowing a preamp from his local dealer which sounded 'horrible' in comparison with the CD player's volume control, he set himself the challenge of building a better volume control. This resulted in a dual ladder type attenuator with performance he says astonished him. Shortly after in 1989, Emmanuel moved to Seattle. Not finding a job that suited him, he thought "why not sell this passive that I made, it’s so good that I cannot imagine people would not want to buy it". This effectively was the start of First Sound. After an intensive six months of research into all aspects of passive design such as wire, topology, parts, solder etc., the First Sound Reference Passive Preamplifier was born. It was followed shortly after by the Reference Passive Preamplifier II and finally the Reference Passive Preamplifier Signature.

In the fall of 1992 the Presence Audio name was introduced as the brand that would differentiate active from passive preamps. Two active models were introduced, the Presence and Presence Deluxe. By around 1994/5 the active preamp was outperforming the passive. Presence Audio was then dropped and First Sound adapted to represent both the active and passive preamps. Since then the active line stage has steadily progressed to the current MkIII version I had for review. To summarise the guiding philosophy behind Emmanuel's designs, "the quality of First Sound passives, primarily how purity of the signal is maintained, has been an ideal. This ideal has been maintained through the active line stages or has been the driving force behind them."

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Out of the box.The Presence Deluxe MkIII and its external power supply arrived in separate boxes, the main chassis box weighing in at 40lbs and measuring 23" x 19" x 11" whilst the power supply box tipped the scales at 18 lbs and measured 17" x 13" x 10". A deft few swipes with a razor blade quickly revealed the contents of both boxes. Plastic foam cradles were removed from either end of the main chassis before the protective plastic bag was slipped off. Very little of the 40 pound weight attributed to the actual packaging, with the Presence being reassuringly heavy even minus the power supply whose own copper-plated steel chassis has to be connected via a dedicated umbilical cord made up of four pairs of twisted wire, each pair having a full 100% shield and a drain wire plus an overall shield and drain wire. The cord is hard-wired to the pre and at the power supply end fastened using a four-pin socket with an aluminium locking ring.

Putting the power supply to one side, anyone wishing to know where the Big Knobs hang out need look no farther than the Presence's 3/8-inch fascia where four 44mm diameter alloy dials stand 30mm proud of the faceplate. A bank of four toggle switches are positioned between the knobs below the twin blue LEDS but if we were to draw a vertical line down the center of the fascia, both sides would be an exact mirror image. The Presence Deluxe is a true dual-mono design and is fastidiously constructed as such, from fascia controls right through to RCA (no XLR) outputs. Even the power cord enters in the center of the rear chassis plate to feed both sides equally.

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This being the case I'll give a brief description of the left side controls only. From left to right we first have the attenuator, the quality of which can make or break a preamp. As the Presence Deluxe basically evolved from a passive which is built around the attenuator, this was never going to be an Achilles heel and all attenuators are hand-crafted by Emmanuel himself. For this LTH92 attenuator, 46 high-quality Holco metal film resistors are configured in a ladder type configuration with 2dB steps over most of the volume range. Each resistor for the discrete left and right channel attenuators is matched precisely to within 0.2% accuracy. The tail of each resistor is crimped to one side of the switch only after being looped around it before being soldered to the lug to ensure the very best mechanical and sonic integrity. The switch itself, also used in the input selector, can handle a massive 25-amperes load and follows the theme running throughout the design of the Presence Deluxe - that of ensuring plenty of headroom and no bottlenecks in power supply or signal transfer.

At this point it's probably worth elaborating on the different types of volume control options in the analogue domain, firstly because it's useful to know when evaluating preamps or integrateds; secondly because Emmanuel believes the First Sound 'ladder type' configuration may be unique in the audio industry; and thirdly because he was good enough to provide me with a very informative response when asked about this configuration: I will try to explain the different types of popular analogue volume controls so a perspective can be derived between each type. First a definition of terms. The music signal is comprised of 2 legs, the positive and negative leg. Contact rating is the amount of current able to pass through a contact point. That value is dictated by the area and tension of the two contact surfaces. Tolerance refers to accuracy of the resistance or value. 10% accuracy for a 200Ω resistor means the resistor value can be anywhere between 180 to 220Ω.


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A series type attenuator starts off with a switch. For the purposes of discussion let’s use a 23 position switch. A series of resistors are connected to each other one in front of the other. Imagine how in a train the different box cars are connected to each other. In this case we have 23 resistors connected one in front of the other. The negative leg of the signal has to go through all 23 resistors at any given time regardless of volume. The positive leg of the signal goes through a number of resistors depending on where the volume is at. At minimum volume the positive leg of the signal also has to go through 23 resistors. At the 12:00 position the positive leg of the signal goes through 12 resistors


With a ladder type attenuator we have only one resistor for the positive leg and one resistor for the negative leg regardless of volume setting. To compare, a pot has the least performance due to deposited carbon not sounding as good as a discrete resistor. It also suffers a low contact rating below 0.5 of an amp. Imagine an 8-lane freeway. At one point it becomes a 2-lane freeway, then an 8-lane freeway again. The bottle neck is at the wiper of the pot. A series type attenuator is superior to a pot because a discrete resistor will perform better than any deposited carbon. First Sound uses high-quality metal film resistors with 1% tolerance.  Depending on the switch used, the contact rating is better than a pot. First Sound uses a switch with a current carrying capacity of 25 amps! A ladder type attenuator is superior to both of the above due to the purity of the signal.The positive leg of the signal goes through only 1 resistor at any volume setting. The negative leg of the signal goes through only 1 resistor at any volume setting. In the series attenuator (and similarly in the pot), the negative leg has to go through 23 resistors at all volume settings and the positive leg goes through a number of resistors depending on where the volume is at. The total number of resistors used for a 23 step attenuator is 46 resistors.

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Looking around the back of the chassis we get the same mirror-imaged configuration save for an earth terminal on the left side. Describing just the left-channel layout again, from left to right the gold-plated solid body RCA inputs are labeled Line 2, Line 1, CD, Tuner and Video. Tape In, Tape out are also included and there are two outputs to facilitate biamping or the inclusion of one or two subwoofers.

Besides having the opportunity to tube roll the First Sound, it is also possible to subtly alter the sound by swapping interconnects between the inputs with their different internal wiring. The CD input uses 18.5g, the Line 2 19.5g wiring both from the same manufacturer with the dielectric removed to eliminate any effect it has on the sound. The CD input is usually the best for your main source component whilst the rest are from another manufacturer, being 18g copper with a black sheath. The most frustrating possible problem with separates is low-level buzz or hum, commonly the result of a grounding mismatch between components. In my experience it’s more prevalent when valves and transformers are involved (although transformers of transistor amps can introduce their own mechanical buzz/hum). Should you be the ungrateful recipient of such annoying distraction, your first port of call here should be the two toggle switches under the chassis. Here’s what Emmanuel had to say about them what exactly they do?


The 2 internal toggles are for the triodes, one per, if they have hum or are a little noisy. It may greatly reduce or eliminate the hum/noise. Up position is out of the circuit. Down position is engaged. My preference is the up position. Since this isn't included in the manual when there are numerous warnings of the lethal shock awaiting a careless hand, I think it's safe to assume Emmanuel is sensibly trying to dissuade his customers from unscrewing the 16 screws which facilitate removal of the chassis lid other than when the valves have to be changed. Once again here the manual gives very specific instructions what procedure to follow and which precautions are to be taken when this is necessary.

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While we're on the subject of valves, the MkIII's complement consists of two OA2 regulators and two 6922 signal valves. The stock tubes are Russian 6N-1P with 2 poles holding the getter. Emmanuel reports that there is a version with only one pole. This does not sound as good. My loaner came supplied with a couple of NOS Mullard CV2493 which Emmanuel doesn't sell but he can put interested parties in touch with the independent seller who does. With capacitors well and truly drained by depressing the discharge button for five minutes as a precaution, I carefully removed the lid to see the innards. First impressions were of the general neatness of the layout but what really took my eye was the way the strands of the copper signal wire connected to either side of the attenuator had been carefully separated from each other. When I asked Emmanuel about this he explained: The output wires (from the output of the capacitors to the attenuator and from the attenuator to the output RCA) are separated to minimize the vibrational effects of wires being bundled together. As signal passes through a wire, the wire vibrates. If there are two wires besides each other, these vibrations multiply. If there are three wires together, the vibrations multiply further and so forth. Such vibration in wires can cause signal smear and blur. Separating the individual wires lessens or eliminates the effects of vibrations being multiplied by adjacent wires. Furthermore there is no sheath. The negative effects of the dielectric is not present.

SETUP. At the Audio World 2011 Show, the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkIII was partnered with the Modwright KW150 Special Edition, which although a Class A/B power amp certainly did not offend my own valve-attuned ears. Hence the interest in reviewing either of these two components. While double-checking the A/B spec of the amp on Google, I came across Srajan's May 2009 review of the earlier non-SE Modwright KW150 which seemed to tarry with my own brief encounter. I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be more discussion on the net about this amp considering it seems to combine many of the qualities of valves with those of transistors. Another amp in this mould is the AMR AM-77 integrated which I reviewed previously. While managing to hold onto it I thought it would be interesting to configure it to 'power amp' mode at some point to pair with the First Sound, recreating a valve pre/high-powered valve-sounding SS power amp pairing similar to the First Sound/Modwright at least in theory.

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SONICS . Listening to Johnny Cash's American III: Solitary Man, the late great Man in Black appears to be about eight to ten inches left of center for the title track "Solitary Man" whilst he sits dead center for his brilliant rendition of U2's "One". Throughout the whole album he seems to shift on his seat from center to left and back again, which I realise is probably down to the sound engineer's altering of the balance though I prefer to think Johnny was restless. Regardless, it's a useful CD for positioning speakers as on 'One' he should present a rock solid central image on vocals, the guitar accompaniments should be separated left and right and his position should alter as already described when skipping through the different tracks. The final consideration during setup was that the First Sound inverts polarity so the speaker cables’ positive/negative connections had to be reversed either at the amp or speakers.

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Levels already matched and remembering to change speaker polarity as I swapped from the Music First Silver TVC to the First Audio Presence Deluxe, what immediately struck me was how the expected loss of resolution never occurred and how the sound seemed to be more fluid, more musical for want of a better word. The Silver TVC was definitely leaner by comparison, which I suspected was also down to the Dynaudio's 86dB load really benefiting from an active line stage despite the 180wpc output of the AMR AM-77. This was confirmed later in the week when the 95dB Audio Note AN/Es were introduced into the system for a short spell. Then the differences between Silver TVC and active pre weren't so pronounced. Far from following in the wake of my own in-house champion, the First Sound Presence Deluxe turned the tables on my silver TVC and revealed limitations I’d never expected beforehand. It seemingly combined the uncompromising resolving capabilities of the Silver TVC with the more organic romantic attributes of the copper at least in a system which was more representative of what the majority of readers will have at home (with regards to speaker sensitivity and amplifier output).

Where the First Sound improved on the Silver TVC was when things got busier and instruments seemed to have that bit more character, a more distinct richer tone if you will. It was during the writing of this review that I saw a very interesting short report by the local TV station where a recording engineer displayed a graphic showing the single bass note sung by Barry White with a bass guitar and a trombone. The interesting part was that the graph also showed the multiple harmonics which accompanied the note. When these harmonics were electronically removed, it was impossible to distinguish between the voice, trombone and guitar. Harmonics are what give instruments and voices their individual tone and character to determine their timbre. I can only speculate that it may well be in the resolution of these harmonics where the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkIII trumps the Music First Silver TVC. After extended listening to the MkIII, switching to the Silver TVC led to a reduction in the ‘musicality’, the leanness of the Silver TVC becoming more apparent by comparison. At the risk of repeating an oft invoked audio cliché, during my evaluation of the First Sound I did end up digging out old CDs, indulging in listening sessions deep into the early hours and my final notes were actually made whilst playing Cara Dillon at 2.45am. On her CD Hill of Thieves, "false False” has a simple piano introduction which envelopes the listener somewhat phasey and indistinct before being joined by a double bass from left of stage and shortly after a single violin from the right.

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In conclusion, the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkIII ticks off every box a music-loving audiophile would wish by being ultra resolving, supremely musical, affordable for the high end and with a build quality and appearance which encourage pride of ownership. Emmanuel Go seems to have left no stone unturned when it came to getting the very best performance from this device where every single component, joint and interface undergoes the utmost in scrutiny before being allowed to grace the chassis.
Even the torque of the nuts and screws underwent experiments. It's hard for me to envisage how this level of performance could be improved. Yet the Presence Deluxe MkIII has three more levels of upgrades and further up the scale there remain the Paramount and Statement series which culminate in a six-chassis affair which the likes of me wouldn't even have rack space for.

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評分

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發表於 2016-10-20 11:59:12 | 顯示全部樓層
靚仔過以前好多
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發表於 2016-10-20 12:04:14 | 顯示全部樓層

我喺聲望聽過幾次FS咋, 未有機會聽真
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發表於 2016-10-20 15:27:45 | 顯示全部樓層
racewong 發表於 2016-10-20 12:04
我喺聲望聽過幾次FS咋, 未有機會聽真

要認真試,我認為 First Sound 係音響史上最好聲嘅前級之一,唔玩過直頭對唔住自己
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發表於 2016-10-20 15:54:36 | 顯示全部樓層
wilmerworkshop 發表於 2016-10-20 15:27
要認真試,我認為 First Sound 係音響史上最好聲嘅前級之一,唔玩過直頭對唔住自己 ...

我就係驚試完要放售我部ARC...
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發表於 2016-10-20 15:55:31 | 顯示全部樓層
racewong 發表於 2016-10-20 15:54
我就係驚試完要放售我部ARC...

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發表於 2016-10-20 15:57:33 | 顯示全部樓層

果時就真係賣屎忽都唔得掂.

最緊要係我個PAT PAT唔值錢...
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發表於 2016-10-20 16:22:05 | 顯示全部樓層
坦克車
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發表於 2016-10-20 16:25:52 | 顯示全部樓層
我以為呢個牌子巳冇咗! 已經消失N 年了!
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發表於 2016-10-20 16:36:29 | 顯示全部樓層
racewong 發表於 2016-10-20 15:57
果時就真係賣屎忽都唔得掂.

最緊要係我個PAT PAT唔值錢...

問代理借,出個連載式 report,一個星期寫幾句,寫返 3、5、7 個月,乜都爽夠
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發表於 2016-10-20 17:09:46 | 顯示全部樓層
唔知呢部而家要幾錢? 以前有分好幾個model,由平至貴, 貴的好似五萬幾! 都十幾年前了! 當年真係唔平㗎
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發表於 2016-10-20 17:12:41 | 顯示全部樓層
我用mk2都有一段日子;Mk3的進步是很明顯的
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發表於 2016-10-20 20:51:58 | 顯示全部樓層
知唔知大約賣幾錢?
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 樓主| 發表於 2016-10-20 23:17:12 | 顯示全部樓層
First Sound Presence Deluxe III HK$ 4x,xxx
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發表於 2016-10-20 23:35:52 | 顯示全部樓層
Avantgarde-HK 發表於 2016-10-20 23:17
First Sound Presence Deluxe III HK$ 4x,xxx

咁又抵喎
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 樓主| 發表於 2016-11-1 12:00:05 | 顯示全部樓層
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First Sound volume controls are hand-crafted using beefy 25 amp switches with 46 resistors per attenuator in a ladder-type step configuration and in exact 2dB steps for each channel. The Paramount and above models use expensive ladder-type attenuators with all custom Vishay resistors for a sonic masterpiece
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發表於 2016-11-1 12:50:31 | 顯示全部樓層
真係唔貴喎
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發表於 2016-11-11 14:20:34 | 顯示全部樓層
本帖最後由 chu922 於 2016-11-11 14:23 編輯

First Sound 用料十足. 設計師研究同一線路多年.  聲音成熟, 襟聽!
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 樓主| 發表於 2016-11-21 17:12:55 | 顯示全部樓層
The MKlll-S series has arrived. It is the latest addition to First Sound's remarkable endeavor that epitomizes superior sound presentation. The MKlll-S continues this hallmark tradition of First Sound. Working closely with Shunyata Research has led to the incorporation and use of the Multi-Phase Differential Array (MPDA), a sophisticated and innovative technology used in the highest quality Shunyata Research products. In conjunction with the MPDA, the MKlll-S uses a new and advanced Power Supply Delivery System (PSDS). This allows for the unimpeded flow of power to the audio circuit while significantly decreasing the noise. pic_main6.jpg
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 樓主| 發表於 2016-12-9 10:53:10 | 顯示全部樓層
First Sound Presence Deluxe MK III 主機採用完全對稱式設計

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