ALLNIC L-10,000 SIGNATURE EDITION - REVIEW
Allnic L-10,000 Signature Edition - Review
South Korea’s Allnic Audio made quite an impression on us when we reviewed their H-7000 phono preamplifier (https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/allnic-h7000-phonopreamplifier), and their M-3000 Mk3 mono block power amplifiers (https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/allnic-m-3000). These products set new standards for build and sound presentation with respect to tube-based home playback gear. We now get to close the circle with the introduction of the L-10,000 Signature Edition Linestage. A review sample was dispatched from Allnic’s factory.
The L-10,000 Signature Edition has many features and design implementations that differentiate it from other high-end tube-based preamps. The first thing that stands out is that the L-10,000 uses 300B tubes, one of the most coveted amplification tubes among high-end enthusiasts. It is also an OTL (Output Transformer-Less) and OCL (Output Capacitor-less) design. There are few linestages with this type of topology.
The L-10,000 Signature Edition came packed incredibly well, with little or no time between unboxing and being powered on. As with the M-3000 Mk3 amps, there was protective material in the tube chimneys that needed to be removed. The manual is very thorough and includes sign-off signatures for completed quality checks of the major components—a nice touch.
So what is the difference between the newly released L-10,000 Signature Edition and the previous model? Plenty. Channel separation has been optimized, and the noise floor has been lowered. Interestingly, Allnic reduced the gain from 18 dB to 12 db to better accommodate more modern digital sources, but also to allow enough gain for low-output phono sources.
One of the major features is the 61-step constant impedance attenuator that offers an amazingly wide volume range. These types of volume controls are very expensive to implement and require tremendous precision. There are tube changes as well, with the 6211 replacing 12AU7, and the ECF802 replacing the E80CF. The chassis has remained as before, but internally there are two identical parallel boards, each with its own power supply.
The build quality of the linestage matches that of the M-3000 Mk3 amps—in other words, fanatical in detail. Even the chunky supplied remote is put together with precision and feels and looks like a piece of art. When you spend good money, you should expect nothing less, and Allnic delivers in spades. The L-10,000 Signature Edition sells for $30,000.
Set-up and listening
The L-10,000 Signature was dropped into a virtually all Allnic system, with the H-7000 phono preamp and the M-3000 Mk3 mono block amplifiers downstream. Along with the Allnic gear, we had on hand a Canor DAC 2.10 (review in process), a Sota Comet Vi1 turntable, and Clarus cables. Everything was powered by Bryston and Audience power conditioners. We used a pair of Magnepan 3.7i speakers.
After letting the linestage settle in for a week following its week-long journey from South Korea, we put it through its paces. We had a stack of vinyl and plenty of digital downloads ready to go. We had just received the new all analog remaster of Jimi Hendrix’s First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, cut by the great Bernie Grundman. The album is made up of tracks Hendrix had mixed and was getting together for his fourth studio release. Most of the tracks were recorded at his own Electric Lady studios, which were still under construction during the process. The tracks found here have been scattered around several posthumous releases, like The Cry Of Love and Rainbow Bridge.
First Rays is the most complete collection of Hendrix’s vision. The music is a huge leap forward, with sounds not heard on any previous release. The Allnic linestage made tracks like “Earth Blues,” “Dolly Dagger,” “Pali Gap,” and “Drifting” sound more present and immersive than we have ever heard them before. Mitch Mitchell’s propulsive jazz rock drumming explodes out of the speakers on tracks like “In From The Storm,” and the layering of percussion, guitars, backing vocals, and studio effects is a thing to behold, with the L-10,000 Signature supplying gobs of texture and earthy analog tones.
Switching over to digital, we listened to an album we have become very fond of, Para Mi Potnia, a bossa nova album by a group from Italy called Sinedades. The album is well recorded and it creates a vibe like a warm summer morning. The music is breezy and charming.
The Allnic preamp created a beautiful halo for this mostly acoustic music. The guitars, percussion, and the wonderful co-led vocals of Erika Boschi and Agustin Cornejo come through in a very intimate way. The L-10,000 Signature extracted the soul of the melodies, sung mostly in Portuguese.
We took a bit of a turn and went with a few albums on the heavier side. First up was last year’s high-resolution remastering of Dirt, the explosive second album by Seattle’s Alice In Chains. We were amazed at the crunch of the guitars and the impact of the drums throughout. Even more impressive was the textures the L-10,000 Signature created with acoustic passages, such as the epic ballad “Down in a Hole.” The late Layne Staley’s haunting lead vocals were powerful and majestic, even more so when coupled with guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s ghostly backing vocals. The Allnic preamp showed it could recreate the scale and impact of rock music without a hitch.
We then focused on mostly acoustic music and orchestral pieces. Gypsy Flamenco, by Flamenco master Carlos Heredia, ripped from SACD, simply sounded divine via the Allnic system. The natural ambience captured by the recordings and the amazing stereo spread featuring guitar, traditional vocals, and percussion, was as lifelike as we have ever heard from a home playback system. The foot stomps seemed to come from corners of the room, and it was easy to differentiate them from the castanets.
Cameristico, by the brilliant Brazilian guitarist Marco Pereira, is a masterpiece of an album, and features music for guitar, orchestra, and trio. There is a sprinkling of flute and mandolin as well. The music is cinematic, with varying shades of light and dark, and overall it’s stunningly beautiful music. The L-10,000 Signature served Pererira;s vision with grace and great empathy. The orchestral layers were amazingly organic-sounding, and the individual instruments and percussion each had their own place on the soundstage. And Perreira’s guitar sits elegantly front and centre.
We had a craving for some classic jazz, and McCoy Tyner’s Time For Tyner, from 1968, was exactly what the doctor ordered. McCoy’s piano was brilliantly showcased, with the listener made to feel a very direct connection with the master’s touch. The addition of the great Bobby Hutcherson’s vibraphone added another dimension, and the L-10,000 Signature provided the sonic sauce needed to make these tracks sound as fresh as they did 56 years ago. The opening track, “African Village,” set the tone, and the entire album sounded coherent and focused.
Just before our time was up with the L10,000 Signature, we purchased 20th Century Lindsey, a 192 kHz remaster of four of Lindsey Buckingham’s solo albums. The Fleetwood Mac frontman has been very prolific, and the albums included here are Law And Order, Go Insane, Out Of The Cradle, and a selection of rarities.
The tracks were remastered from the original tapes, and the level of detail and nuance compared to the original CDs is staggering. The L-10,000 was adept at spotlighting Buckingham’s guitar mastery and his particular gift for crafty arrangements. Out Of The Cradle is the most intimate of the albums, and features gently finger-picked guitar, layers of vocal harmonies, and some spoken word interludes. There are some more fleshed-out tracks as well, and the Allnic system beautifully rendered the performances and production with great focus..
With respect to ergonomics, the L-10,000 Signature was simply flawless and a joy to use. The stepped volume control was astoundingly smooth. We thought we had encountered precision volume controls before, but the Allnic implementation was unparalleled. The linestage was also amazingly quiet, both mechanically and electronically. The only noise heard was at power up as the tubes came to life.
Conclusion
We have had one other 300B based linestage in our system and it sounded lovely, but leaned too heavily on the velvety, rich side. We have also had numerous superb flagship preamplifiers in-house from excellent brands like Lamm, Rogue, Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, and more. None approached the sheer perfection of the Allnic L-10,000 Signature Edition.
The L-10,000 Signature Edition would be a final purchase for most audiophiles. There was no area in which we found it lacking, and in our estimation, it would serve virtually any audiophile’s listening habits. Of course, coupled with Allnic’s own M-3000 Mk3 mono amps, there was synergistic magic, to be sure. But we feel the preamp would be a superb front end for any amplifiers that can match its level of excellence.
For those in the market for a state-of-the-art linestage, we strongly recommend, if not insist, that it would be prudent to take a listen to the Allnic L-10,000 Signature Edition It will open an astute audiophile’s ears to what is capable at the highest levels of tube preamplification.
Production Information
Allnic Audio, South Korea
Allnic L-10,000 Signature Edition Linestage: $30,000
Technical Specifications
Input Impedance: 10 k ohms( RCA, XLR)
Tubes: 300B x4, ECF802 x2, 6211 x2
Dimension: 430mmx450mmx280mm WDH
Weight: 22kg/net
DISTRIBUTOR
John Ketcham
KEVALIN AUDIO
info@kevalinaudio.com
503–292–5592
