Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ch-precision-l10-stereo-line-preamplifier

We listened before installing spikes. With Audio Research 330M monoblocks for amplification, we began with the same track with which the 330Ms dazzled me at AXPONA 2025, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Danse Macabre from the classic Minnesota Orchestra collection Mephisto & Co. (16.44.1 FLAC download, Reference Recordings). Then we turned to a newer but not necessarily better high-resolution recording, of Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel Symphony (24/96 FLAC, Pentatone/download) performed by the Minnesota Orchestra under Thomas Søndergård.Then we installed the spikes under the preamp box and listened again. Highs were a bit more brilliant and tighter, the presentation even more alive, dynamic, and resolved. The spikes also delivered more transparency and textural clarity and further highlighted the Audio Research 330M’s luscious and colorful midrange. My customary component supports, Wilson Audio Pedestals, may have delivered highs that were a bit smoother, but CH’s spikes showcased the L10 at its best

However, upon careful listening, there are audible but gentle peaks in the treble, which occur at 2.6 kHz, 5 kHz, 8 kHz, and 12 kHz. According to the graph, I have observed these gentle peaks before my measurements were taken.

I want to emphasize that the peaks mentioned above do not present themselves as coloration as much as they add air, details, and sparkle, which makes the NOTT Phantom more engaging because they make the sound more spicy, energetic, and exciting.

However, if I must nitpick, I believe the peak at 5 kHz contributes to the faint sound coloration, which prevents the NOTT Phantom from achieving the cleanest background decay. Nevertheless, the background is dark, and the decay is clean, albeit not as clean as the best I’ve heard.

The Børresen Acoustics T5 SSE superbly represents that elusive amalgam of the “not too much, not too little, but just right” balance – completely owning that optimal middle ground. Its blend of capabilities, wide-ranging achievement, and accountability of execution is truly remarkable, boatloads of fun, and has completely won me over! While the M range obviously represents the pinnacle of the Børresen Acoustics experience, the T range in general, and the T5 SSE in particular, may just be my personal favorite so far. Give them a listen and see just how many of your personal boxes they successfully check off. Their inspired balance of performance and value might just make them the perfect choice for you as well!

Furutech Project V1-S speaker cable offers a unique ability to capture the atmosphere and enhance the emotional impact of music, regardless of genre. In music reproduction, atmosphere and emotional interaction are everything, especially at the top tier of high-end audio.

From the outset, it was clearly designed not to be transformative, but to provide an aural truism without creating a false perception. Project V1-S delivers musical impact that positively shapes the entire listening experience, leaving a lasting impression that is hard to describe yet consistently uplifting.

Some high-end audio cables build in a crescendo, but quickly lead to listener fatigue. In contrast, Furutech reference-level speaker cables belong to a rare category that operate with quiet gravity – present, yet leaving no sonic imprint.