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THE AUDIO ASYLUM FORUM
TYPE
"PLACETTE"
IN THE
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If
you have been searching for the sonic purity and clarity that allows hours and
hours of fatigue-free listening, Placette Audio has the pre-amps and volume controls that
make it possible. Our exclusive use of the very costly Vishay S102
resistors in a proprietary 126 step attenuator eliminates the distortions present
in even the finest quality volume controls.
 According to some audio
pundits, the preamplifier is fast becoming a superfluous
component. If true, then like turntables and 16/44k digital components, its
flame is flaring brightest just before it dies. I believe these predictions are
so much stuff and nonsense (few audiophiles I know are giving up their vinyl,
their tuners, even their cassette decks). But whatever the fate of this
component, it has had few brighter stars than Guy Hammel's Placette Audio
preamplifier (review, Issue 125). With a generic (albeit effective)
off-the-shelf Sony remote, the Placette hides its first-class parts (countless
Vishay resistors), dual-mono circuitry, and volume control that is one of the
finest ever developed (it may actually be the finest) under a prosaic black
exterior (though construction is exemplary).
Distortion is close to immeasurable, noise at the residual of the parts themselves, building and testing literally by
hand, with specs and performance guaranteed for ten years. Transparency is Hammel's Holy Grail, and he has spared no expense or
effort trying to achieve it. Sales are by direct mail, but an in-home trial with
a 30-day money-back guarantee means you must be on your guard even more than
usual: The Placette's see-through clarity is so seductive you're unlikely to be
asking for your hard-earned wages back".
the absolute sound
GOLDEN EAR AWARD
EDITORS’ TOP PICKS
Stereophile
www.Stereophile.com
April 2006
VOL.29 NO.4
Preamplifiers Page 88 |
“Placette Audio Remote Volume Control: $1000 A paperback–sized black box with
one set of unbalanced inputs and outputs, a toggle switch and remote, a row of LEDs that light up to indicate the
relative volume level, and a 125–step attenuator built entirely with super-premium Vishay S-102 foil resistors. The
Placette centered and locked images into place, improved transparency by removing grunge, and snapped sonic pictures
into focus. BD: “The result was stunning.” Against the Sonic Euphoria PLC, the Placette
was better at resolving fine-scale and inner detail, adding
complexity, texture, and volume to notes while providing a larger,
deeper soundstage. Comes with 30–day, money-back guarantee.
(Vol.27 No.6, Vol.29 No.1)” |
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