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REVIEW: Enlightened Audio Designs OVATION Preamplifier (HT)

206.49.129.135

I got my Theater Master Ovation on March, 1998. This was a few months after the very first units left the factory.
Back then I was searching for a preamp/processor in order to start building my stereo/home theater sysem. I was looking for the very best price/performance compromise. But unfortunately where I live there are no dealers in which I could audition high end surround processors. So I had to base my decision simply on reviews of the specialized press, specifications of the products and on the background of each manufacturer.
I was very lucky to find about this small American high-end company, Enlightened Audio Designs, which has earned my deepest admiration.
First I learned they were the first company to deliver Dolby Digital, HDCD and DTS to the consumer market. This really impressed me and it is a unmistakable sign of the talent and resources EAD has gathered over the years.
After that I got familiar with the reputation of the marque’s digital-to-analog converters. I read rave reviews from the specialized press from all over the world, praising the unique virtues of their classic digital processors. (Stereophile’s reference was, and quite possibly still is, the 9000 DS-Pro). The reason for this is that EAD really stresses on the electronic design details that truly make a difference, more than any other manufacturer that I know of (in my view, only comparable to Britain’s dCS). And best of all EAD has managed to bring these unique design details to their new Theater Master Line.
I was mighty impressed by their hybrid digital/analog volume control. This technology brings the best of both worlds: the low cost of a digital attenuator and the unparalleled quality of a switched resistive array analog control. It allows EAD to use the highest quality metal film resistors at a reasonable price. What they do is to use a resistor for each 6dB step and achieve the minor adjustments in the digital domain, never losing more than 1 bit of resolution (which in a 20 bit system will never degrade sound). This array is much better than the analog volume control used by other pre/pros and is comparable to what you will find in Jeff Rowland analog preamplifiers.
EAD’s Acculinear design philosophy is also worth to mention. It allows better transient response at the current-to-voltage stage than common integrated circuits and greater speed than the exotic discrete designs of some overpriced stand alone stereo processors. This is critical in the construction of the analog waveform, as closely as possible to the original signal and rejecting any digital signature.
At that time there was no other surround processor with a reclocking circuit, and that holds true today. The Theater Master achieves an unheard of digital source and interconnect insensitivity in its class. An anti-jitter circuit is crucial to achieve the highest possible digital resolution. With out it is unlikely to get 16 bits of resolution from CD’s and other sources. We all know that the differences we hear among digital cables and transports are related solely to jitter ( because ones and zero’s are always ones and zeroes, timing errors are the culprits). EAD’s Digital Flywheel gives the user the freedom to choose any moderately priced transport and digital cable without worrying about messing up the sound.
Also, Theater Masters are modular and software driven, making them fully upgradeable, without the cost and complexity of open architecture designs with sliding circuit boards. The buses these designs require are not the best choice as much as sound quality is concerned (less is best).
All these factors were enough for me to make the decision in favor of the TM Ovation.
When I got the unit I was stunned by the overall fit and finish. I know that looks are a subjective call, but for me it is the best looking pre/pro, even the circuit boards are beautiful (can be seen through the vents). It has the highest quality, heavy-duty RCA post not seen in Meridian, Proceed and Lexicon gear. The display is very effective, and agree with EAD to forgo an onscreen display. Many people disagree, but I see an onscreen display as a temptation to make layer upon layer of menus that only worsen the user interface. And I don’t have to turn on the TV to make an adjustment while auditioning a CD. In general, I find the ergonomics very good for a technically complex unit as it is.
EAD’s Autosetup provides effective calibration of speaker levels and delays, excepting the subwoofer. This is reasonable because the subwoofer is very sensitive to the room size, construction and placement.
The sound quality of this unit in stereo mode is what seduced me most during my first audition. Having myself a large collection of CD’s, this is a great advantage. And with discrete surround material, EAD’s leadership in surround decoding is apparent. Theater Masters also include a Matrix mode for derived surround from stereo sources. Matrix mode is fine but EAD stresses more on the highest quality stereo reproduction and not on DSP and ambient recovering , obviously the best way to go. (Its better to wait for DVD-audio).
I was very happy when quite a few months later I started to read the rave reviews these Theater Masters where receiving . The Signature model was ranked by SGHT among the three best stereo preamps on existence (including EAD's own DSP 9000) . Definitively I was not wrong with my decision.
EAD has made many software updates since the first units came out. For example, Autosetup now has phase correction for the speakers.
Keeping with their tradition, EAD hopes to be the first manufacturer to offer a DVD-Audio upgrade for the Theater Master line, as soon as the firewire format is finalized. I can hardly wait!
Regards,
Miguel Avila

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Kimber Kable

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