TEO Audio Liquid Pre preamplifier Review

TEO Audio Liquid Pre preamplifier

TEO Audio Liquid Pre used with headphones

Recently I began a review of the Kingsound M-20 Headphone Amplifier and H-3 electrostatic headphones. I have been away from headphones for a while, but thought it would be fun to hear how they have advanced in recent years. I was not prepared for the experience! I quickly concluded that the level of precision and definition decimated all the systems I have built – with the exception of one incorporating the Vapor Audio Nimbus White speakers and the TEO Audio Liquid Pre. I won’t say much more now about the Kingsound amp/headphone setup, except that everyone raving about the latest planar headphones need to get their ears wrapped around this ESL combo. Just as the Kingsound King III ESL fairly shames many pricier panels, I suspect this headphone and amp combo will do likewise.

Part of the fascination with headphones is the expected ear-to-ear imaging; the extent of Left/Right channel separation is as wide as the mind. Literally, in a ray extending from each ear to infinity the particulars of the music can be placed within the structure of the musical piece. This allows for a fabulous amount of detail to be experienced, if the headphones are up to it. Speakers seem fairly insipid in this regard, except when they are hyper-capable in terms of precision, and when used with the Liquid Pre. The TEO and Nimbus White are exquisitely synergistic, both magnifying the strengths of the other. The TEO Audio Liquid Pre passes massive amounts of information to the Nimbus White, and the speaker reveals it all with absolute authority.

A friend of mine last year bought nearly the entire Border Patrol, Snake River Audio, Volti Audio Alura system on demo at CES Chicago. One of its best attributes is the open sky expansiveness of the SET amp with higher efficiency hybrid horn speakers. The TEO Audio Liquid Pre adds a great deal of that sound characteristic to the Nimbus White. I asked Taras about compatibility with low power amps, and with his usual forthrightness he indicated he did not know, but had not received any feedback indicating incompatibility issues. Would that I had a SET amp at my disposal, so that I could report to you my findings. Alas, I encourage those hoping to try the Liquid Pre with their favorite low power amp to discuss it with TEO Audio. Though I do not presume to speak for them, I would suspect based on my interaction with them that they would to have a straightforward return policy in the event of a technical incompatibility.

Small system with big synergy

Occasionally I share a recommendation of an entire system based on superb performance. While using the TEO Audio Liquid Pre I was able to establish new benchmarks in performance of systems using both smaller and larger speakers. One of the more memorable setups I include here for your consideration:

Mac Mini

Clarity Audio Organic USB Cable

exaSound e22 DAC (on review)

TEO Audio Liquid Pre

Wells Audio Innamorata Amplifier

BMC PureVOX Speakers

Silnote Cables

I felt the strengths of each element of this system were leveraged to the extreme. While one may debate the pristine nature of the computer server source, I found the exaSound e22 to be a most remarkable DAC that was superlative when combined with the TEO Audio Liquid Pre. The BMC PureVOX is a stunner, capable of far larger sound than other small monitors, and even small floor standing speakers, due to its quasi-bipolar design. The Liquid Pre juices the performance of all these, pushing them into a performance level I would accept to show at an audio event of industry insiders. I would recommend this as a high caliber, small system setup for those who are seeking superior sound in a smaller package.

In terms of noteworthy listening moments, I assessed hundreds of snippets, and hundreds of entire tracks while assembling this article. Moments that stuck with me included Adele’s voice on 19 plumping, and the weirdly stilted venue of her recordings in her home snapping into focus, making the recording finally sound normal due to the Liquid Pre. I could enthuse about the shaping and contouring of the electronic bass of Daft Punk from Random Access Memories, such that it was not succession of tones, but of notes as from an instrument, not a synthesizer. It would be fun to elucidate the nuances of increased beauty of vocals of some of my preferred female singers, or explain how an older performer such as Christopher Cross’s voice morphed from a pale, irritatingly high pitched, high school singer to a mature first Tenor crooning, opining about unrequited love. I could go on at length how “Barbosa’s Hungry” is such a messy affair on the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, but actually sounds like a proper orchestra as rendered by the TEO Audio Liquid Pre. I could discuss how “Trombone Shorty” Andrew’s Backatown sounds distorted on most audio systems because they simply do not have the capacity to render it cleanly, but the Liquid Pre race tunes a rig to run the song and not crash and burn.

The Liquid Pre makes Nils Lofgren’s guitar on Keith Don’t Go sound impossibly huge and gutty, like it’s coming from a private performance eight feet away. It sounds like actual rain in the recording of Annie Lennox singing Here Comes the Rain Again. The tympani on “Jazz Variants” by the O-Zone Percussion Group are revealed as notes, not simply blasts of LF distortion.

Big caveat, and big endorsement

As the TEO Audio Liquid Pre is a new product from a smaller manufacturer it is produced in small production runs. Therefore it depends where in the production cycle the order comes in as to how long a wait a customer might have to receive their unit. According to Taras, the turnover for an order is about one month. Prospective buyers should be aware of this potential month long lag time in fulfillment of their purchase.

The greatest argument against the TEO Audio Liquid Pre might be that it does not have XLR inputs or outputs. Basically my response is, so what? For every amp that is fantastic sounding with balanced connections there is one that sounds every bit as good, and perhaps better, with single ended connections. For every balanced cable that shines, there is an RCA link that shines as brightly. When RCA or XLR is offered on a single component, I often find myself preferring the XLR connection.

However, this in no way ensures that any given amp’s XLR connection is universally superior to any alternative amp’s RCA connections. If only it were so simple life would be far easier as an audiophile System Builder! Across lines of gear the supposed universal advantage of XLR all but disappears. Most amps accommodate RCA, or both RCA and XLR, but far fewer have only XLR. I believe I will not find in an active amp the level of revelation and of freedom from electronic smog that is found in the Liquid Pre. If the price of admission to the level of sound quality afforded is to run RCA connections, so be it.

However, I would be foolish not to have a backup plan. If I’m hard pressed, I have a set of Cardas RCA to XLR adapters, which I have not used to date with the TEO Audio Liquid Pre, but would not hesitate to try. I hate using adapters because of the wretched loss they introduce, but I would rather use them with the Liquid Pre in conjunction with an amp having only XLR connections than move to a lesser preamp. I suspect the effect might be the equivalent of introducing a pair of interconnects or a power cord not matched absolutely to the rig, an acceptable compromise for the huge gain the Liquid Pre represents.

In summary, this is the only preamp I can say that to my ears did everything right with every piece of music played, and never once stumbled by introducing grunge, either mechanical or electronic. I cannot think of a single instance where I thought, “This doesn’t sound right,” but I can think of many where I thought, “This sounds perfect!” At $4,200 the TEO Audio Liquid Pre is in the realm of possibility for real world enthusiasts, and I’m endorsing it by purchasing it. I have been on the hunt for a top-end preamp for the better part of two years, and the Liquid Pre is the closest to a Cost-No-Object preamp without sonic drawbacks I have laid hands on. Unless for some bizarre reason the case bursts open and I am overcome by a eutectic slush of Gallium and Indium and Tin, you will be seeing more of this preamp in future reviews.

Associated Components:

Source: Macintosh Mac Mini; Sonos Digital Music System; Musical Fidelity M1CDT Transport
Playback Software: Amarra
NAS: Buffalo Linkstation 500G
DAC:  BMC PureDAC; Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus with Burson and Dexa NewClassD Discrete Opamp Upgrade; Musical Fidelity V90-DAC; ifi Micro USBPower and Micro DAC
Preamp: TEO Audio Liquid Preamplifier; VAC Renaissance Signature Preamplifier MkII; Pass Labs XP-20; Cambridge Audio 840E
Amps: VAC Phi 200; Pass Labs X600.5 Monos; Musical Fidelity M1PWR (two units bridged to Mono)
Integrated: Pathos Classic One MkIII stereo tube hybrid (two units bridged to mono); Peachtree Audio Nova
Speakers: Kings Audio Kingsound King III; Legacy Audio DSW Clarity Edition; Kings Audio King Tower omnidirectional; Daedalus Audio Ulysses used in Landscape orientation; Vapor Audio Nimbus White
Subwoofers: Legacy Audio XTREME HD (2)
Interconnects: Clarity Cable Organic RCA/XLR; Snake River Audio Signature Series Interconnects; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
Speaker Cables: Clarity Cable Organic Speaker; Snake River Audio Signature Series Speaker Cables; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
Digital Cables: Clarity Cable Organic Digital; Snake River Audio Boomslang; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
Power Cables: Clarity Cable Vortex; MIT Oracle ZIII; Xindak PF-Gold; Snake River Audio Signature Series; Silent Source “The Music Reference”
Power Conditioning: Wireworld Matrix Power Cord Extender; Tice Audio Solo