Embedded Files
Ten questions on personal and product history.
Sound quality and music enjoyment–wise, the LKV Research Veros PWR+ amplifier sits on a higher mountain than any other class-D amp I've encountered. It seems like Bill Hutchins made a slew of listening-inspired design decisions which, in concert, led to this extraordinarily natural-sounding power amp.
With this LKV Research amplifier, you are getting something extra of unusually high value: Bill Hutchins. I have talked to him at length, and I can vouch for his character. He is humble and patient. He is a small, well-established audio manufacturer who builds phono stages, line amps, and big-system amplifiers in his shop with his own hands. I admire Mr. Hutchins because I once did what he is doing. Therefore, I know: $10,000 is underpriced for an amplifier built entirely in New Hampshire with the love and determination of one person. Long nights under fluorescent lights.
Today, most commercial loudspeakers feature reactive, low-impedance loads. Why? Because watts are cheap? Unfortunately, cheap watts often sound like crap watts. Fortunately, Bill's watts sound like limitless, sensual, tactile, luxury class-A watts. On the speakers I used, the Veros PWR+ put minnows, crappies, and my favorites, bass and catfish, into the once-empty class-D pond. Gleefully recommended.
This $2500 solid-state two-box overachiever, also made in America, offers both fully balanced and single-ended operation. The designers saves money on the less than elegant looking chassis and puts all of the money into the circuitry and parts quality. A great deal of jumper-based configurability makes it highly adjustable but definitely for the nimble-fingered, though the designers sends it to you configured for your current needs. Offers unusually flexible grounding options. Definitely worth checking out.
The Veros One also won a Positive Feedback 2014 Writer's Award in Jan 2015.
Later in 2014, Enjoy the Music awarded the Line One its Top 20 award
The Comments section adds to the review. Bill responds in the back and forth.
In a small follow-up in Comments, Mr. Fremer used expensive interconnects:
When I reviewed the LKV Research Phono 2-SB, which sells for but a few thousand dollars it made little sense to review it using interconnects costing 10X more so I used something commensurate with the preamp's price. But after the review had been published, just for the hell of it, I used the TARA Labs Zero and OMG! The LKV opened up and became far more expansive and explosive but how many people buying a $2500 phono preamp are going to spend 10X more for an interconnect cable?
Using a step-up transformer, Mr. Hull loved the 2-SB. Later in 2014, Part-time Audiophile named the Phono 2-SB The Best of 2013.
Later in 2013, Enjoy the Music made the 2-SB a member of its Blue Note award.
Google Sites
Report abuse