Overview
This is a preamp that has a quiet legion of followers and is Convergent Audio’s Halo product. It has been the cult favorite amongst discerning audiophiles for decades. The SL-1 Signature is a beguiling preamp to own. Listening to the SL-1 Signature is like listening to the sweetest voice possible in a tube preamp. There are rivals out there like Cary’s SLP-05 or McIntosh’s C2300. Both these preamps cost more and have modern amenities like remote control but sonically, pales slightly in comparison to the SL-1 Signature. The SL-1 Signature has a more “colored” bloom than the other two preamps and had a slightly more defined presentation. The Cary is sharp sounding too but sounded less “tubey” while the McIntosh was richer and more lush sounding. All three preamps are good but if you don’t want to spend more than $3,000 on a top notch tube preamp (you won’t find the Cary or McIntosh selling for under $3,000) and want to own a tube preamp that sounds just as good if not better (careful system matching will do that) than the SL-1 Signature will be the most appealing preamp to get. Preamp has one tape loop, two line inputs and one phono input. The phono input has a fixed load of 47 kohm. If you want to change the load, you can buy cartridge loading plugs from CAT and then insert them into the load input in the rear. Preamp has been re-capped so it will be good to go for many more years to come. Tube complements are 4x 6922, 4x 12AX7 and 2x 12AU7. Tubes inside now tested out fine but we always encourage having a new set handy. Also, you may want to tube roll them to get the sound you desire.
Overall, the preamp looks very good. Some scuff marks here and there and a few light scratches (touched up by a sharpie) but nothing major. Faceplate is nice and clean. The very stiff umbilical cord that connects the main unit to the power supply is not the easiest to maneuver around but once you have set the units in place, they are a dream to use. Preamp will be securely packed for safe shipping. Local pickup from our store preferred.
