TMR Exclusive Review: SPL Elector Preamplifier, Part 1

I will get right to the point. Audiophiles looking for a diamond-in-the-rough analog preamplifier need to know about the Elector from Germany’s Sound Performance Lab. In trading a little bling and chassis flair, you get elite sound quality at a price point far below what you would expect, resulting in unmatched value for a preamplifier.

After my thorough testing period with this preamp, I came away more impressed with the performance for the price than I have with any other piece of gear that I can remember, except perhaps the handbuilt Decware amplifiers I've had the joy of experiencing. There isn't yet the cult status for the Elector that the Decwares enjoy, but that's a fact I'd like to do what I can to change.

I think this Elector preamplifier is one of the best-kept secrets in the HiFi market right now, and I am not simply hyperbolizing for hyperbole's sake. The brand isn't often on the tips of audiophile tongues, and at the budget-friendly price of roughly $3K, it is likely overlooked when putting together a true high-end system. Both are a shame.

Sound Performance Lab, or SPL, is a well-established brand in the pro audio world and produces mastering consoles, compressors, headphone amplifiers, microphone preamps, and more. They've loomed large in the music creation market for some time, but now their "Professional Fidelity" series has found its way to a number of dealers in the HiFi world, including The Music Room. And for good reason, I would come to find out.

I found it had special synergy with certain setups, completely overperformed in most systems, and offered one of the lowest noise floors I've experienced. Tube amplifier owners, in particular, should read through to the end.

The Great Divide

Back when I worked for a major HiFi manufacturer, our office was located next to one of the most high-tech recording studios in the entire Colorado Front Range area. Between our buildings flowed a small creek (okay, more like a pretty drainage ditch covered in willows) carrying a murmuring trickle of water most of the year.

I always thought that was serendipitous, and likened it in my mind to the figurative chasm which seems to separate the pro audio world from the HiFi world. I knew an engineer who worked at this studio, and occasionally we'd exchange a few words across the "creek," but I could never seem to get my busy friend to take the time to jump over and listen to a dialed-in HiFi setup.

As a recording and mastering engineer myself, who also grew up an obsessed audiophile with a DIY addiction, I've always managed to straddle the line a bit. I understand the motivations and priorities on both sides.

They are different, to be sure. Even in ideal recording situations, there are many necessary steps to success that would make some audiophile stomachs turn. And on the flip side, audiophiles' focus on some "periphery" elements like high-end power cables, advanced grounding, and high-tech material composites used in vibration isolation would make recording engineers chuckle.

But there are places where both come together. Despite what some audiophiles may think, the pro guys spend a great deal of time, money, and effort to achieve highly linear and accurate playback. There's a lot of excellent audio equipment used in the pro audio studios that would absolutely light up the typical audiophile and vice versa.

It's just that the two sides don't always speak the same language. And they seem to be drawn to audio products differently. On the recording side, word of mouth and "which Grammy-winning artist or engineer uses what" kind of approach is used to spread the word about products, from powered speakers to summing mixers.

On the other hand, audiophiles often get more excited about the deep-in-the-tech speak, enthusiastically hurtling themselves toward new nerdy rabbit holes as fast as innovative manufacturers can tunnel them.

Me? I'm excited to hear fantastic, linear equipment that arises from solid design choices and makes all of my music more fun to listen to. I know I like to dig a little deeper into the circuitry details and the 'why' of things than some, but I'd bet these ultimate priorities are shared by most audiophiles. Sound Performance Lab pushes my buttons with their talk of proprietary op-amps, balanced circuits and focus on headroom. Color me intrigued.

(Continued in Part 2)