So much experimenting has gone on since my first tests and I'm glad to be able to share my findings.
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Originally Posted by
Aaron Rash
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The originals have absolutely zero "mud" in them at all. The Heritage and AMS also don't have any low mid buildup. The only one that does is the BAE but it's very slight, you have to listen for it.
Firstly to address the "mud". This is true and I apologize for using that term. Thickness is more appropriate. And indeed I was finding the AMS Neve 1073N to be thicker than the Heritage Audio 1073. But it was also less clear. More on that...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mart
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what kind of racks (power supplies) were you using these with?
For those who don't know: the 1073N is partly SMD technology and comes with a switching wall wart power supply.
There was a slight change in tone when I moved my 1073N to an AMS Neve rack, but it might also have to do with the output pot.
Having tested out the 1073n with three different power supplies I can attest that the power supply makes ALL the difference. A noticeable improvement was made on the clarity of the unit when I tested it with an AMS power supply as opposed to the wall wart that comes with the unit. It brought about the clarity that the Heritage unit had while still retaining a lot of the colouration/mojo thus resulting in a more refined tone.
What really blew me away though was when I tested it out with my friend Stacy's own power supply. A brilliant producer/engineer, he used to work at Le Studio up in Morin Heights. His approach to power supply is in keeping with a military approach... Supply above and beyond the nominal needs of the unit for it to perform unhindered. And perform it did. The high end was more focused. The lows actually deepened. When going back to the wall wart, it was as if an octave was taken of the resulting signal. It was quite impressive. Also, in terms of dynamics the signals that passed through felt less compressed. A truly eye-opening experience. It's easy to forget that were always dealing with electricity at this stage... Never skimp on your source.