This is part 2 of a review for the Tortuga Audio LDR1 passive preamp. I was able to audition the LDR1 for a full month before receiving the updated software chip. There had been a delay in sending out the chip as it was discovered there were certain anomalies with Class D amps. Once those were resolved the chip was sent out. Since I have W4S Class D amps, it was reassuring that this was checked out. Having the LDR1 for so long made it easy to hear the difference between the old software and the new software. The only difference in actual operation of the pre was that now when the volume was raised or lowered, the LED fast flickers. Tortuga had incorporated my suggestion. Nice! The purpose of the new software was to increase and optimize the input impedance thus resulting in better dynamics especially at lower volumes. In actual practice it did much more than that. Dynamically there was a sense of increased transient response though not nearly as significant as the difference between my old passive and the old software. At lower volumes it was difficult for me to detect a significant increase in dynamics across the board. What was significant was a marked increase in low level detail, even at lower volumes. But the most improvement came in rendition of sound stage. At all volumes there was an expansion of width and depth as well as a greater perception of space. There was a smoothness to the presentation that gives a greater sense of reality, especially in live recordings. My GUESS as to whats going on is that the precision of the channel balance that the original software pioneered is further enhanced and made more apparent by the impedance optimization. Those spacial cues that are embedded in the phase relationships are made more precise by the channel matching and brought to the fore by the impedance refinement. Again, just a guess on my part. Having sent the unit on to the next participant on the tour, and going back to my previous pre, I noticed that the texture of instruments and voices are less refined. The subtle emotional nuances are less. There is a flattening of the sound stage and the sound sticking more to the speakers. Harrumph. Having worked in live sound for a few years and maintaining an interest in audio as a hobby for 40 years, I have come to appreciate that everyone comes to different conclusions as to what they hear and thus how they want their audio to be reproduced. Its a trial and error process hopefully with correlations between what is heard and what can be measured. That has been my experience anyway. What I have found is that low distortion, high signal to noise ratio, and flat frequency response are the preeminent determinants as to whether I will like a certain component. Others have come to different conclusions. The very nature of the recording process manipulates the sound running it through various circuits with all kinds of deleterious as well as beneficial effects, some recordings more than others. Some are of the opinion that since this is the case why not use every means at our disposal to manipulate the sound, when reproducing, to achieve pleasing results. Those that use passive preamps take an opposing view. The last thing we want to do is use anything that will obscure the waveform as its delivered by the source medium. The fewer circuits the better. While I have not personally auditioned a lot of passive pres, I can say that the LDR1 is as a transparent component as I have ever encountered. I will be curious of the findings of the rest of the tour participants as to how the LDR1 performs with their systems. Thanks to Tortuga for sponsoring the tour. The LDR1 tour is a being conducted for members of the Audiocircle forum who responded to a thread in the Tortuga Audio sub-forum. You can follow it here.
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