Audiophilepure

I did also notice a few other things using the Strata that might be of interest. First, surface noise on clean modern discs seems a bit quieter and lower in subjective frequency, but the opposite can be true with older discs, depending on prior use/abuse, vinyl hygiene, or pressing defects. Pops and tics are instantaneous, with minimal overhang. I was also more aware than usual of low level pre-echoes from the following groove. I don’t play much rock, so will offer no opinion on undistorted guitar distortion.

I have played all sorts of LPs atop the Strata with nary an instance where I thought anything musical was left in the grooves. Cliche or not, I was hearing musical information on familiar records I’d not noticed before. Over the years I’ve improved my analog playback with turntables, tonearms, cartridges, and phono stages – each retailing for far more than the Origin Live Strata. Yet it turns out it’s this innovative platter mat that actually makes all those other upgrades absolutely worth the expense.

So who (besides your humble correspondent) will be buying a Strata mat? Current or future Origin Live turntable owners might opt instead for a newly available platter which includes Strata tech bonded to an acrylic sub-platter (now standard on their top turntables). That still leaves a lot of audiophiles with decent to extravagant analog rigs, yet still open to real improvement. OK, some might rather spend 500 bucks on 10-12 audiophile reissues. Sigh.

A key feature of the preamp is its two chrome-plated, ball-bearing rotary controls, which feel solid, heavy, and precise during use. The step size of the volume change depends on the rotation speed. Slow rotation changes the level in 0.5 dB steps, while fast rotation changes the volume in 2 dB steps. Unusually for a high-end product, the preamp includes Bass, Treble, and Loudness controls that can also be fully bypassed. Even though there are valid arguments against using EQ, there are times when it can be beneficial. Thus, I always welcome the inclusion of this almost forgotten feature.

The preamp, presumably mandated by law, has an Auto-Standby feature that switches to standby after 15 minutes of inactivity, which can be quite annoying for a tube product with a warm-up period. Fortunately, the function can be defeated in the Personal Setup menu. The manual indicates that “the menu button on the right under the display” must be pressed before waking the unit from standby. To be fair, it says “on the right”, but confusingly, the middle button has a ‘Menu’ label, while the other buttons are unlabeled. As it turns out, the unlabeled button on the far right opens the Personal Setup menu, not the Menu button. With that addressed, I left the preamp powered on for most of the day before starting my listening tests.

Even within their given size constraints, it is quite an achievement to embody as much of the music’s energy as they can and to follow what is given, overlaying and forming an above-expected level of acoustical nodes and focal points, creating an enticing atmosphere.This is undoubtedly due to what Bloom stands for and how everything is combined, starting with the selection of drivers, fitting enclosure, and a potent, fluidly tuned crossover.

The Blooms are an exemplary execution of the bonding of three key elements, and as proven during the evaluation, they were designed to be an important partner to the matching electronics

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0626/AGD_Productions_Allegro_Intergrated_Amplifier_Streamer_DAC_MM_MC_Phonostage_Review.htm

The second selection was “Space Oddity,” by David Bowie, from Space Oddity (2019 Mix). This turned out to be perhaps the most interesting selection of the entire review. The track played flawlessly. The amount of information that could be heard was so substantial that it seemed like hearing the selection for the first time, and truthfully, I know I have said that before. The part I have not said before is that there were underlying elements in the music that were not as notable before. For example, there were guitar notes that seemed almost out of place. Normally, they would’ve been either so muddy they would have blended in with the rest of the music, but although the rest of the music played, these were visible now. In the end, it turned out to be just this version, but it highlighted the detail and resolution, not to mention the sound quality the Allegro can produce in the right system.

The third selection used for the review was “Queen Mary” by Francine Thirteen. It is a great track to test just how well an amplifier can handle a genre or musical selection that demands large power fluctuations. The first thing that struck me about the AGD Allegro was just how controlled the soundstage was with this selection. The music was tight, the notes extremely fast, and the vocals were exceptionally lifelike. Regardless of the challenges the material placed on the amplifier, the Allegro was up to the task, even under significant changes and heavy demands.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/simaudio-moon-371-integrated-amplifier

Just as Melua’s vocals sounded floaty and smooth through the MOON 371, the cigarettes-’n’-whiskey growls of Johnny Van Zant across Lynyrd Skynyrd’s acoustic Endangered Species [Volcano 82876 55128 2] were roughly detailed, as appropriate. However, listening to ‘Devil In The Bottle’ it did feel as if the singer was spread a little too wide, not quite drawn sharply centre stage amid the instrumentation. This vaguely diffuse flavour was also noted with Ry Cooder’s ‘Theme From Southern Comfort’ [Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed; Warner/Rhino 8122-79891-9]. Yes, the snap and twang of his slide guitar was all there, but perhaps it was not so ruthlessly defined.

The Mathilde Storm ballad ‘Cries Like A Baby’ [Propeller Recordings download] has a sparkling vocal track that runs the risk of listener fatigue. The MOON 371 delivered it with no shortage of presence and detail, while avoiding the gritty treble that has one reaching for the volume control. The fulsome bass on this recording, both soft yet robust-feeling, was another standout element.