AUDIONET PRE G2 AND AMP - REVIEW

AUDIONET PRE G2 & AMP

I imagine most of us are familiar with the parable about “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Well, I can’t think of a more appropriate parable, given the state of affairs here at AKRMedia before the Audionet PRE G2 and AMP arrived for their audition and review.

A component review was failing, as the component simply wasn’t holding its own  weight. This was the time in the review process where the manufacturer is contacted with a choice:“I close the review and send the product back, or I write a pretty lukewarm review ,with no awards and no recommendations.” All manufacturers to date have selected Door Number One—“Please return.”

But just as the notes were being taken for the call, the pluses and minuses duly assembled, as there were indeed pluses, the balance was flashing red. It was as if the component’s low frequency response had been clean sheared off just below the lower midrange. It was truly an interesting thing to witness, but I soon discovered there were reasons for this. 

What I had quickly begun to understand was that there was one fairly dramatic anomaly in specification city. Long story short, the sensitivity measure was a bit off and had thus skewed amplifier matching. 

Given the speaker’s stated sensitivity of 94dB, I proceeded with amplification below 50 watts, which should have been more than sufficient. It was not, and resulted, as aforementioned, in the shearing off of all low frequency—bass—information. The mid and high frequencies were nonetheless very good. An informed hypothesis put this speaker’s sensitivity closer to 90dB. But things would soon change for the better, as the Audionet PRE G2 preamplifier and AMP monoblocks entered Casa Heartsong.

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the components actually sound and not the process of physically “undressing” them and/or laying out their various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a  non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Transcendence, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

The Sound

When the Audionet PRE G2 and the AMP (200 watts) (the “Duo”) showed up, they were immediately seated in the trio, which then became a quintet. To say that the Audionet Duo woke the speakers up, brought them to life, enabled them to dance upon their own grave, and then magically reattached their lower bass frequencies would be just about right. The Audionet Duo confirmed the fact that there had been far too little juice to animate the speaker, but that problem had been solved.

Not only did the Audionet Duo give rise to everything south of the lower midrange that had been missing, but the entire frequency spectrum was now infused with weight and power and nuance. Additionally, transparency and resolution and their collective “mining” of detail, its microscopic cousin, and transients were now on full and proud display. Yes, the Audionet Duo had saved the day, and the review of what turned out to be an exceptional loudspeaker. This should be a clear lesson to those who seek to “goose” the numbers. Don’t. It could end very badly.

The Audionet Duo’s volumetric cube—its recreation of intended soundstage—is exceptionally wide and exceptionally deep, cavernous, with outstanding height. And wonderfully intimate, personal, and sweet when called for. Spatial recreation—horizontal positioning, layering, relative space, air and ambiance—are truly superb. I listened to the Audionet Duo for an entire day straight through and went to bed smiling, energized, and shaking my head in disbelief. If this is what well curated, well thought-out power/wattage brings, “I’ll have more, please.” 

The Audionet PRE G2 and the AMP were partnered with a rather exceptional trio—Grimm Audio MU1 streamer, Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, Bricasti Design M1SE DAC. The speakers were the Tri-Art OPEN 5 and the Verity Otello. Cabling was Audience FrontRow and RSX Technologies power cables. Power conditioning was handled by the Audience AdeptResponse aRS-T4 Power Conditioner (see System(s)).

THE SYSTEM

• Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer

• Mola Moa Tambaqui DAC

• Bricasti Design M1SE

• Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro Network Switch

• Tri-Art Preamp & Monoblock Amps (100W)

• Tri-Art OPEN 5 Speakers

• Verity Otello Speakers

• Audience FrontRow Interconnects, USB, Ethernet Cables/Wires

• RSX MAX Power Cords

• AntiCable Power Cords

• Audience AdeptResponse aRS-T4 Power Conditioner

BASS

Eiji Oue’s “V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recordings) storms in and the Audionet Duo, via either the OPEN 5 or the Verity Otello, is magnificent. I am jarred by the bass power, its weight, and the superlative calibre of the assembled timpani. I imagine my neighbours are too. As I mentioned in the review of the Tri-Art OPEN 5:

“The timpani were differentiated and fleshed out via both their surfaces and interiors and this level of transparency and resolution were new. This is a track I have heard across many years and many systems and the insight provided was entirely new.” 

In other words, regarding the bass of a given speaker, the Audionet Duo will take your speakers by their necks, figuratively speaking, and shake every last bit of “the living bass’”out of them while providing special muscle—750 watts at 1 Ohm—for those speakers with wildly erratic or vanishingly low impedance  curves (personalities). 

As with the OPEN 5 and then the Verity Otello, the balance of the bass response tracks—Dave Holland’s “Emerald Tears” (Emerald Tears, ECM),  Paul Chambers’ “Yesterdays” (Bass on Top, Blue Note),  Marcus Miller’s “Power” (M2, Concord), etc.—were in fact spectacular. The transparency, ever-present, laid bass plucks and strums, knocks and twangs in-room, three-dimensional and wholly palpable and almost literally real. Spectacular. And this was new on so many levels via the Audionet Duo.

Midrange

Day two: I sit late into the night, listening to track after track of vocals. Joan Shelly, Kandace Springs, Patricia Barber, Elina Duni, Andy Bey, et al., one by one pass along with the hours and I am in complete thrall. The singers, all, were centre stage, their voices natural, naturally resolved, and beautifully transparent in a way that consistently put them but several feet before me and in the midst of Casa Heartsong. The entire day had served as a singular event that provided insight and an attachment to the music, to a degree that one rarely experiences via electronic reproduction at home. The Audionet Duo had again made it so and with a loudspeaker—Tri-Art OPEN 5—at less than 20 percent of its cost!

The balance of my midrange test tracks— “Gloomy Sunday” (Eternal, Marsalis Music), “Árbakkinn” (Island Songs, Mercury (Universal France)), etc.—were taken by the Audionet PRE G2 and AMP and transformed like the others from electronically reproduced streams of music into music that seemed present, personal, dimensional, and always very immersive. If I’ve had a similar experience, I do not, at this moment, remember it. Suffice to say that the Audionet Duo’s midrange is spectacular as well.

TREBLE+

Let me reprise my experience with the Audionet PRE G2 and AMP with the TRI-ART OPEN 5, as the assembled “quintet” played through one of my go-to tracks in my Review Treble Mix—“Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy). As I stated:

“I can’t remember the time this performance has been so transparent, so easily rendered, so real. I shake my head again at the TRI-ART OPEN 5s well aware that their price tag says, “Yeah, I know, we shouldn’t be able to do this. But, we are.” And I sit back and enjoy with complete awareness of that fact.”

You’ll find no treble acrophobia—fear of treble heights—with this quintet, as led by the Audionet duo. 

I play once again Hilary Hahn’s “Sonata No. 1 in G minor: Adagio” (Hilary Hahn Plays Bach: Violin Sonatas Nos 1 & 2; Partita No. 1, Decca), just to make sure that I wasn’t imagining things the last time out. True to form, Hilary’s violin is off in a flash to treble Alpha Centauri, free of grain and dissonance and breakup and sizzle and sibilance, and power gliding beautifully. Did I mention that the Audionet Duo is solid state? 

PACKAGING and Accessories

Inevitably, the packaging for large, heavy, and expensive equipment like the Audionet PRE G2 and AMP is tasked primarily with “content security.” It is not a bling affair that manufacturers with small, light, and less expensive equipment can indulge in. Job one is to secure the component, given the transportation industry and its general disregard for the sanctity of  transported goods. I have certainly had my share of these types of experiences.

The standard Audionet packaging for the PRE G2 preamplifier and the AMP monoblocks is to purpose—sturdy, double-boxed, encased in hard foam slabs.

Design—Look, Feel, and Technology

The Audionet PRE G2 and the AMP come wrapped in brushed aluminum panels that cover its front, sides, and top and vary in thickness from 4mm to 10mm. The chassis is constructed of sheet metal 2mm thick, varnished in black. 

The first impression is that both components are imposing, exceptionally well executed, and to heft one is to understand their sheer weight, gravity up close, and to imagine that they are indeed constructed of the finest parts to specifications.

Aesthetically, the Audionet PRE G2 and AMP monoblocks are symmetrical, clean, well-proportioned, and reminiscent of Bauhaus architectural design—though you could also imagine the juxtaposition of the Audionet gear in a beautiful San Francisco Victorian, a Mid-Century Modern home, or a Mid-Century Modern high-rise.

In the final analysis, the Audionet components are big, bold, industrially well designed, substantive, and with clear architectural leanings; at least it appears so to me. 

FUNCTIONALITY

PRE G2 PREAMP

The Audionet PRE G2 is a “microprocessor-controlled reference preamplifier,” wherein its microprocessor regulates:

“All A microprocessor controls and regulates all functions and informs the user via a dimmable display. The inputs can be named, and different input signal levels corrected. Other devices can be switched on via Audionet link. All functions can be controlled remotely. Source signals containing DC components can be compensated for.”

Those in possession of six sources and a choice of balanced or single-ended output devices—amplifier, subs, etc.—will find themselves with a wealth of opportunities and the ability to experience new options, new aural experiments—change.  A listing of the various inputs and outputs follows:

Inputs:

• 5 pair Furutech RCA line, gold-plated

• 1 pair XLR symmetric, gold-plated

Outputs:

• 1 pair Furutech RCA line, gold-plated

• 1 pair Furutech RCA inverting, gold-plated

• 2 pair XLR symmetric, gold-plated

• 1 pair Furutech RCA Monitor, gold-plated

Did I mention the naming protocols and the ability to name and rename the various channels, a reviewer’s dream?

AMP MONOBLOCKS

The Audionet AMP monoblocks are not without their own technological implementations and benefits. 

I had assumed on placing them into the system that whether single-ended (cinch, RCA) or balanced (XLR) were tethered from the PRE G2, then that link would automatically be selected for signal throughput. Other inputs and outputs:

Inputs:

• 1 Furutech RCA line, gold-plated, teflon insulated

• 1 XLR balanced, gold-plated

Loudspeaker Outputs:

• 2 pair Furutech 4mm-jacks, rhodium-plated

Well, that was not the case. While the single-ended (cinch, RCA) is indeed set as standard for those who wish to utilize single-ended cables, for balanced (XLR) you will have to select that option from the front panel of each monoblock. 

As a reviewer, I found this rather cool. Brilliant way to do “on-the-fly” comparisons between RCA and XLR cables (which I did), leaving them both in for switch on demand. Cool.

There are hosts of additional documentation on both the PRE G2 and the AMP to, which I will direct you for your perusing enjoyment. PRE G2. AMP

Conclusion

Spectacular! Not every day does a preamp and amplifier duo come into your life and raise the “living dead,” figuratively speaking, from their musical graves. Well, if you’ve made it this far, the reference to the “living dead” may well be clear. But I digress.

The Audionet PRE G2 preamp and AMP monoblocks are velvet hammers. Should the program material require them to access the stygian depths of the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail, they will take you there swiftly, as it is a path they know well. And in this respect, the Audionet PRE G2 preamp and AMP monoblocks are hammers. Yet should the material require a stratospheric rise to tip-top, treble heights or a most proficient, beautifully resolved, and compellingly engaging vocal, you will be there. This skill is, of course, the velvet covering the hammer. I report this from much experience and having travelled often to the electrostatic world, where the Audionet Duo and the Tri-Art OPEN 5 appear to share a condo.

Without further ado, we happily award the Audionet PRE G2 preamp and AMP monoblocks our highest award—the DIAMOND AWARD—for excellence in regard to superb high-fidelity reproduction, musicality, and the required gravitas to make it work beautifully.

Pros: The marriage of power and finesse, high-fidelity and musicality in a simple, clean, and beautifully designed package.

Cons: None.

THE SYSTEMS

• Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer

• Mola Moa Tambaqui DAC

• Bricasti Design M1SE

• Silent Angel Bonn N8 Pro Network Switch

• Tri-Art Preamp & Monoblock Amps (100W)

• Tri-Art OPEN 5 Speakers

• Verity Otello Speakers

• Audience FrontRow Interconnects, USB, Ethernet Cables/Wires

• RSX MAX Power Cords

• AntiCable Power Cords

• Audience AdeptResponse aRS-T4 Power Conditioner

The Technical Specifications

AUDIONET G2 PRE

Frequency range: 0 – 2.000.000 Hz (- 3 dB), DC-coupled, 2 – 2.000.000 Hz (-3 dB), AC-coupled

SNR: > 120 dB

THD + N: < -102 dB for 20 kHz (df: 0 - 80 kHz) < -114 dB for 1 kHz (df: 0 - 20 kHz)

Output impedance: 22 ohms

Output current: max. 60 mA

Mains: 120 V or 230 V, 50…60 Hz

Dimensions: width 430 mm/ height 140 mm/ depth 420 mm/

Weight: 15 kg/mono block

AUDIONET AMP MONOBLOCKS

Power: 200 W into 8 ohm/ 350 W into 4 ohms/ 550 W into 2 ohms/ 750 W into 1 ohm

Filtering Capacity: 82,000 µF

Frequency Response: 0 – 300,000 Hz (-3 dB)

Damping Factor: > 1,800 @ 10 kHz > 10,000 @ 100 Hz

Harmonic Spectrum: k2 typ. -117 dB for 25 Watts @ 4 ohms, k3 typ. -140 dB for 25 Watts @ 4 ohms

Intermodulation: < -110 dB SMPTE 100 Hz : 20 kHz, 4 : 1, 50 W @ 4 ohms

THD + N: < -105 dB at 1 kHz, 35 Watts @ 2 ohms between 20 Hz and 20 kHz

SNR: > 122 dB

Input Impedance: RCA: 37 kOhm, 220 pF/ XLR: 3 kOhm, 170 pF

Power Consumption: max. 1,000 W

Mains connection: 120 or 230 V, 50…60 Hz

Dimensions: width 215 mm/ height 190 mm/ depth 500 mm

Weight: 22 kg/mono block

The Company

Audionet
en.audionet.de
+49 (0) 30 2332 421 0
service@audionet.de

DISTRIBUTION

Bill Parish

GTT Audio
+1 908 850 3092
av@gttaudio.com
www.gttaudio.com