Gram Amp 2 SE

In this review I would like to share my experiences and feelings about the Gram Amp 2 SE I recently installed. My review may not add anything of extra value compared to other reviews, in that most about this phono preamp has already been said, and more eloquently and more knowledgably, by other reviewers. But I think my review could be especially of help to those who own a budget set up like me (Project Debut Carbon with Denon DL-160 cartridge (high output MC), VSX-922 A/V receiver from Pioneer and a set of Monitor Audio Silver-RS6).

What I would like to say first is that the Gram Amp 2 SE made a difference from the phono preamp I had before (NAD PP2) right out of the box. I have been listening now for about a week, and I am not certain if there is an improvement since I first installed it (I think there is), but I think I should just try to describe what I am hearing and that should speak for itself. I will try to be precise and concise, since I don’t possess neither the technical know-how nor audiophile vocabulary to go into the greatest detail. Neither do I know how my turntable and cartridge influence the sound I am hearing. But I do love what I am hearing …

In the most general sense I am having the aural equivalent of a veil being lifted from the recording. There is more definition of the individual instruments and their timbres. Compared to my previous preamp, this Gram Amp 2 SE accentuates detail, but while the music is clearer, the noise/pops/clicks are not exaggerated (it could indeed be said that while the Gram Amp 2 SE is doing its wonders to the music, it at the same time 'ignores' noise and pops and clicks). I can hear 'deeper' into the sound stage. There is more separation and three-dimensionality to the sound. Also, the bass sounds tighter/more controlled.

To sum it up, all the above is, I think, 'simply' the result of the greater resolution and purity provided by the Gram Amp 2 SE. A feeling of the phono preamp ‘getting out of the way’ of the recording.

I think this Gram Amp 2 SE is a great investment, and at a price that is fair when you hear what you get out of your recordings. I am considering upgrading to a PSU1 power supply.