Karan Acoustics Master Collection LINEb preamplifier

REVIEW
Alan Sircom
Jun 22, 2021

Which brings us to the LINEb’s performance in absolute terms, and it sets a very high bar. The LINEb is one of the most fluid-sounding preamplifiers you’ll encounter. It allows the listener to deep dive into even Horace Silver’s hardest of hard bop [The Cape Verdean Blues, Blue Note XRCD]. Quite often, the angularity of hard bop detracts from the underlying themes, but here the LINEb’s uncanny sense of musical flow and overall accuracy make for a performance that gives greater understanding of the intent of the musicians. Of course, this requires a superb sense of imaging, the sort of dynamic range that is at the very least unobtrusive and free, and the kind of detail that gets you straight into the studio. Fortunately, the LINEb does all that extremely well, too.

Often, when faced with a new product, one tends to go for torture discs because they tell you much about what that product is doing. Only when the Spanish Inquisition phase is all over and we are into the ‘comfy chair’ stage, do you start to get a real flavour of the product in use, as opposed to the device under test. But here, Torquemada Time faded fast because I was clearly dealing with a higher order of preamplifier. Those little details that make or break a system shouldn’t start to appear when playing ‘Welcome To My World’ by Depeche Mode [Delta Machine, Columbia], because it’s something of a deep-bass electronica onslaught. Yet, when Dave Gahan starts singing, it’s not only close mic’d, but you get to feel on a deep and personal level his own demons clawing at him. I’ve played this recording to the point of it being effectively test tones with a singing voice, so finding it to be that moving was a bit of a shock.

LINEb-BACK DETAIL

Like its bigger brother, the LINEb is outstandingly detailed and precise, extremely coherent and with a soundstage bound only by the constraints of recording and system. It’s fluid, dynamic and lithe, too, with a great sense of rhythm. And, also like its bigger brother, you quickly become so wrapped up in the music that trying to determine performance is difficult. Few top-end audio electronics are as approachable as the Karan Acoustics Master Collection series, and yet few tell you as much about the music. It’s a truly ear-opening experience!