1073-Style Preamp Blind Shootout: WA273-EQ vs. Vintech X73i vs. BAE 1073 vs. Great River MP-2NV

In this BLIND 1073-style preamp shooutout video, we put the Warm Audio WA273-EQ, the Vintech X73i, the BAE 1073, and the Great River MP-2NV up against each other on acoustic guitar & male vocals. Can you tell which is which? FOR THE RESULTS AND A COPY OF THE HIGH RES AUDIO FILES:(without KZbin compression), give us a call at [phone] or email us at proaudio(at)soundpure.com.
GEAR LINKS:
Warm Audio WA273-EQ: www.soundpure.com/p/warm-audi...
Vintech X73i: www.soundpure.com/p/vintech-a...
BAE 1073: www.soundpure.com/p/bae-1073-...
Great River MP-2NV: www.soundpure.com/p/great-riv...
Peluso P-67: www.soundpure.com/p/peluso-p-...
TIME CODES:
Solo Acoustic Guitar
Mic A: 1:32
Mic B: 1:49
Mic C: 2:07
Mic D: 2:24
Solo Vocal:
Mic A: 2:41
Mic B: 3:08
Mic C: 3:36
Mic D: 4:03
Full Mix:
Mic A: 4:31
Mic B: 4:59
Mic C: 5:27
Mic D: 5:55
All these 1073-style preamps are available for our exclusive Try Before You Buy demo program: www.soundpure.com/trybeforebuy/
Sound Pure is an instrument and pro audio shop specializing in high-end and boutique gear. Check out our gear demos, how to videos, and gear comparisons, and then reach out to our experts to help you make an informed purchase. We're here to help you find the perfect gear for your needs.

[@MelliMontana]

1073 Shootout: Vintech, BAE, Warm, Great River OFFICIAL RESULTS 💯 A: Vintech X73i B: Great River MP-2nv C: Warm Audio WA273eq D: BAE 1073EQ Source: I emailed them and they responded within 24hours. Like this comment so more people can see ! 💯💯💯

[@PaulEubanks]

Before i looked at the comments I thought "yeah I really like D the best". Good to know it's the frickin' most expensive one. D:

[@hangingwiththehendys]

Just going throughout the video before comment section I loved A and B… A was neutral and warm, B had a nice saturation compression type thing that I could see as a solid benefit in a lot of situations. … C was kinda thin, D was ultra hyped and forward… present, and not my taste.

[@vanitune9458]

This is so crazy, at the end of the video, I decided to go with “C” and it turns out, I already have that mic-pre! I didn’t even which one it was until I read the comments. I’m buying another!!!!

[@buttholesniffers]

To my ears A and D were pretty close, B seemed a bit darker and C a bit brighter. They all sounded good for sure and I doubt anyone's mix would be harmed by using Any one of these.

[@easternsouvenirs]

I was digging B the most, A next, and C and D last.... honestly shocked because I assumed B was BAE. Dang. What

[@DistinctAndReticent]

A: Vintech B: Great River C: Warm D: BAE

[@theblowupdollsmusic]

Is this the official answer or your guess?

[@theblowupdollsmusic]

@@kempetai2099 thank you. I tried to email them and got no response.

[@summerfazed]

Warm audio has annoying high mids. BAE is brighter, but better??. Vintech and GR are similar. I think the vintech is smoothest even vintage tone

[@ThePickledOnions]

Ridiculous. Come for the shootout, stay to be told you can't have an answer.

[@mleightle9289]

D sounds so damn good without anything, and with processing, it was my immediate first choice for open, airy, full, open sound...simply amazing...

[@stillphil]

a) clean clear b) wooly c) Thick d) Present : thick and clear C & D are my faves

[@TheGurner1]

Hi guys, please tell me which pre was which in the shootout? I'm guessing: A, BLA B, Great River, C, Warm, D, Vintech

[@hisroyalsucculence]

To be clear: the first two takes (A & B) are from one mic that has been split, and the second two are from the second mic that has been split (C & D)?

[@sttdvs]

What is the pre D? Love all shootouts for all gear but a bit frustrating when there’s no info on the shootout…

[@RooftopRecording]

I downloaded the hi-res and got the results. These pres quality is MUCH more apparent in the hi-res files. I agree with SoundPure that it's a really good idea to get the hi-res and listen again. Thanks again, SoundPure!

[@giorgiodibenedetto3599]

Hi would you still have the files by any chance? (I'll send you a pm with my email address in case) I am pulling the trigger on one of the units but I wanted to listen to the hi-res files first. Thanks!

[@RooftopRecording]

@@giorgiodibenedetto3599 you just need to send a message to SoundPure and they'll send them to you. I expect they want to build a database of potential clients, and I don't want to subvert that. I'm sure I dumped the files shortly after anyway.

[@giorgiodibenedetto3599]

@@RooftopRecording hey thanks for your answer! Yes I emailed them and pinged them again but I didn't get any reply unfortunately! I'll send you a pm with my email address if it's fine with you, thanks a lot!

[@RickBatyrMusic]

B and d anyone find out yet ?

[@heartland3887]

C is sooooo smooth and goes well with anything!

[@JailanOnSax]

What microphones are those? Anyone know?

[@rayrav__]

Would you recommend Using the Eq on the signal chain tracking vocals? Because I see a lot of people eq later on in the mix. But I like the eq sound on the pre amp. What do you think?

[@indyawichofficial1346]

Use it as you like, what sounds best for you. The EQ stage engaged in the box was part, and is part of the particular "sound" as said here, yet it depends, there is no single way to paradise. What I found a determining difference between real Neves (1073, Aurora GTCQ) and the clones is the amount of saturation in certain ratio between in / out, where the rest breaks up in "nevish" way, the Neve original additionally brings up the "compressed" upper register in a way, I haven't found in Great River ME1NV (which, although not directly a clone, I love and use daily), or in other "clones" such as Vintech, but also Heritage Audio..There is actually a big discussion about true Neve 1073 sound in terms of topology of non eq 1073 preamps mimicking exactly the input stage / output stage signal path of the original, however without EQ there are certain shortcuts or solutions to compensate for its sonic absence, and also dynamic range, such as in example of probably most revered Bae or recently hyped Heritage Audio....

[@keithrowe1007]

Question, sorry, not a pro: isn’t the whole idea behind a 1073 to jack the gain and saturate the hell out of it? Like on rock drums or guitars or bass?

[@ZiggyVision]

Thanks for this comparison. My favorite is the B Pre Amp. Can someone tell me which one it was? didn't find anything about it ..

[@AlCapwn369]

great river

[@JohannesLabusch]

I thought these were a bit pricey, but I didn't realize that you guys are throwing in that gorgeous Collings at no extra cost! Cool.

[@lukesuperflyjones]

Man how I miss sound pure. Good to see a blind test video once again

[@thesoundresidence]

B and D with great margin.... A and C were thin sounding, part grainy and lacking "weight". A and C may fit some sources of corse, but as far as quality goes, B and D all the way...

[@Grantborland]

110% agree with you dude. Love how detailed and clear D sounded and B sounded very smooth and warm to me!

[@INeedsMoneys]

@@Grantborland i heard the opposite, A and D sounded thin, but D was clear when A was boxy/canny. B and C was warmest. D is clearly thinner than C. C overall won for me, both warm and clear. D was nice on guitar tho. A was trash.

[@pavmx703]

I thought the exact same thing. I couldn’t decide between B and D but I think I liked D more in the mix. Crazy how clear the difference was. I didn’t think it would be that noticeable.

[@MrGuitarist9891]

I really wish you would put the answers to what preamps were what at the end of the video

[@soundpurestudios]

Hi Eduard... the reason we don't is that we think we are all preconditioned to judge the results instead of really listening to the differences. You can email, call us, or just shoot us a Facebook message for the results: business.facebook.com/SoundPure/

[@dr.joshaxe1251]

Hm. An annoying but confessedly appropriate response.lol.

[@Mike-pv3hg]

Thanks for warning me before i got a few mins in. Not watching, subscribing, calling, faxing, or joining any mailing lists. Fail.

[@mgonzalezfilm]

soundpurestudios You could easily just put the answers in the description, at least. The majority are not going to bother emailing, calling, etc. No disrespect at all whatsoever and I appreciate your efforts to make a video like this, but in reality I’m not even going to finish watching the video if the names of the preamps used aren’t in there at least in the description.

[@baristosun1745]

I sent an email last week, still waiting for the results!

[@ryanshook8284]

WHAT!!! Blew my mind. Honestly. I have a Warm Audio and wanted to badly sell it for a BAE or Great River, but after watching this it reinforced that I just need to stick with what I already have: the WA273-EQ. I expected C to be the Great River. Goes to show - - always trust your ears!!! I loved all of them though, except the Vintech (A). Idk why. However, I still want and like the Great River for its girth. Girthy. A - darkest of the bunch B - lower low-mid weight to it C - crisp but still weighty, my fave D - most detail, but gave the impression of less weight

[@fernandoamarante]

I like the C preamp. What's the C premp? Thanks

[@tecno8335]

Wa 73

[@celiuskroontje]

Which preamp was preamp B and C? i like it!

[@djboriginal]

Wait, did I miss the reveal?!?!?! Great, 9 minutes and 8 seconds of my life I won't get back. Thanks Sound Pure...friggin awesome...SMFH

[@crescentmoon54]

You guys perform in Carbroro too???

[@Theophanes68]

B if I had to pick just one pre, D had the best mids to my ears. They all sounded very nice in the full mix. Thanks guys and I appreciate you NOT posting the results, it absolutely would’ve created biased replies!

[@blerkh]

I've twice sent you an email asking for the high res files and the results, and have not received a reply.

[@user-kn6jl2mt7b]

d is the most expensive sound. b is the most compressed, insensitive. but I prefer b. i felt b is the most musical sound for this type of song. i really like that smooth transient.

[@TheOpenJam]

Vintech on Acoustic guitar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm36s and Warm audio on acoustic guitar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm10s GR on acoustic guitar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm53s BAE on guitar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm28s GR on vocals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm11s and BAE on vocals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm06s Vintech on vocals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm43s and Warm Audio on vocals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6iwc5iegNt4p7sm39s

[@jasonmartin8467]

Great test, I wish you had also tracked a drum kit, mono in front of the kit. That is one area where you can really hear how a preamp reactions to the drum transients as well as its overall tone.

[@DrUmSensitive]

B all to the way to my ears! Both guitar and vocals...

[@banters9333]

Think I preferred Preamp A and C best. A for the warm/smooth sound, while C felt a little more modern/hi-fi, both great-sounding. Which ones are which?

[@soundpurestudios]

Hi Banters Official... shoot us an email and we'll send you results and high res audio files: proaudio(at)soundpure(dot)com

[@banters9333]

Yeah I did this just after I posted the comment actually. Thanks! :)

[@evidencebasedmusic]

warm (c) is the clear winner for me. Not to dark or dull, and not harsh like D.

[@tecno8335]

A: Vintech X73i B: Great River MP-2nv C: Warm Audio WA273eq D: BAE 1073EQ They all sound great but these are the actual results. Make your own decision and contact soundpure for the HD audio stems it's worth it.😀

[@Grantborland]

Great River and BAE where my favorites out of the four. thanks for letting us know man!

[@guidosc3470]

Clearly D .. even i listen just on my phone XD.. but Think- If you don't like or hear it on your phone- is it worth the money?! I'm just saying. (Btw -Oftentimes my s9+ reveals more high information than my kh 310)

[@everythingtakin]

Even from my cell phone I knew I liked c. Im glad if its the warm audio because thats the one I been really thinking about buying I just have interface at moment 6i6. 1st gen. Maybe to help would anyone know if with a single channel via rhe inserts I can you this as a insert on a bus. Which wouldbe stereo. Would it knock it down to mono back in. Do I need a 2 channel to do a stereo mix down on this wa73eq.? Thanks for any help first external pre here and I dont mind stepping up my game. Thank you

[@AnimAHipHopTV]

THANK YOU!! Definitely buying a great river.

[@charleshale8504]

Loved the way C sounded first time listening, D to me was the best; thanks for posting this

[@kirstensray]

I liked D on the guitar and B on the vocals, and B on the full mix. A seemed abrasive in the highs. I didn't like A at all. C took all the sparkles out of the highs. C was very smooth and warm and nice to listen to, but not preferred over B and D. Probably with EQ A and C could be fixed to be something I would like. Who knows what these same pres would sound like on a different source. A: Vintech X73i B: Great River MP-2nv C: Warm Audio WA273eq D: BAE 1073EQ

[@BaserockStudio]

I was surprised to find the bae to have such a bright and brittle top end. The great river is magic, very balanced and natural. One of the best preamps on the market by far.

[@easternsouvenirs]

Right?? very strange. Great River sounded best to me as well

[@shane2973]

I don't know why, but I kept thinking C/D sounded good in the bottom. I would listen through and when C came up it sort of grabbed me then I felt like I would pay attention and D was cool too

[@fsync]

A treasure hunt for the shootout results?! What can I say. It sucks that I invested 10 minutes of my life here. Its awesome that I never again will.

[@PlottingTheDownfall]

D was smooth and very 3D sounding. The vocals when pushed kept from getting strident. C started to get pinched when the vocals got pushed but sounded great in the lows and mids. But I feel that the headroom wasn't quite there. B would be my next choice - my guess it's the Great River and A is the Vintech. But hands down I would choose D for overall smoothness and bigness from low to high, and C would be my choice for a bit of an edgy sound. Any one of them would work.

[@siriusfun]

I'm thinking D is the x73i. Has anyone received the results and if so, can confirm or deny this?

[@CzarPharo]

Denied

[@bunker5tudios495]

it is not hehehe

[@michaelyolch79]

Thank you for all your hard work in putting this together. The Great River is my hands-down favorite. It treated the entire frequency spectrum beautifully.

[@yurikalashnikov2460]

One of the best part of this is seeing how everybody has completely different perceptions and preferences. It’s all over the place and conflicting.

[@keithrowe1007]

Guitar: 1:35 A. 1:52 B. 2:09 C. 2:26 D. Vocals lower register. 2:43 A. 3:11 B. 3:37 C. 4:06 D. When your rooster crows. 2:52 A. 3:20 B. 3:47 C. 4:15 D Full mix. 4:33 A. 5:01 B. 5:30 C. 5:58 D. FUll mix 4:43 A. 5:11 B. 5:39 C. 6:07 D

[@JacobraRecords]

thank you. You can really hear how much the top end is open on the BAE @ 4:06

[@fernandozaldivar1920]

I appreciate that as a retailer, SoundPure probably don't want to take sides and this could be the reason why there was not a reveal at the end of the video. But this could be counter productive because it leads viewers to reach the wrong conclusions. If we assume that A, B, C and D's identities were in the same sequence as on the video title, then I definitely don't mind spending $500 extra to get B (presumably a Vintech X73i) and I definitely don't want to spend my money on A (presumably a Warm Audio). If my conclusion is wrong (as it probably is) then SounPure is doing a disfavour to Warm Audio. In summary, please give full disclosure and allow viewers to reach their own conclusions.

[@jimsmithson2936]

can you do one with drums

[@bitspacemusic]

Which one is B? I'm ready to order.

[@tecno8335]

Great river

[@draztiqmeshaz6226]

Thanks for a proper ABCD gentleman. Props to the singer. Subtle pipe control. Hey what kind of lavalier mics are you using?

[@gorannilsson4721]

OK I just checked the guitar part. (Much work to do here.) They are all different loudness. (but all have the same loudness in both L and the R channel) A: loudness = -16.5 dB (LUFS) B: loudness = -16.2 C: loudness = -15.9 D: loudness = -16.3 So C is the loudest followed in order by B , D , A . Still after these corrections I think there really are differences. C is warmer than the others (of course this must be WA) and A is the most NEVE-LIKE (I think so). Nice Music Playing !

[@onetoo5899]

B all the way for me compressed in KZbin... Specially on vocals and full mix... Smooth as hell,creamy and full sounding, never harsh. Not as much bollocks and nerves as an api. Really Neve-ish sounding and very different than the 3 others... As the only "no 1073 clone" could it be the Great River stuff ?

[@JRandallS]

I'd guess B is the one without the EQ button, it was also my least favorite on the quiet passage of the vocal, but really opened up nicely went it started to be driven. Listening in earbuds through KZbin I'd probably choose "C" as #1, A as #2, D as #3 and B as #4. However that could all change if I had a chance to play with the input and EQ. Also I would have preferred to hear these on a Neumann U-87 as I am not as familiar with that particular mic.

[@soundpurestudios]

The Peluso P-67 is a Neumann U 67 clone we really like. That said, totally understand that being familiar with the mic helps you make a judgment. Check out our product page videos for more info on the Peluso: www.soundpure.com/p/peluso-p-67-switchable-pattern-tube-microphone/2643

[@JohnPickup-CDHS-ze6qd]

Can anyone explain this? Whenever I try to patch my Vintech into a channel on the console, I only get a faint signal. But if I pull the TRS connector halfway out, I get the full signal. None of the jacks are unbalanced, so I don't understand why just using the tip would give me a full signal. All the cables and jacks are working fine. Could it be my $1,400 piece of shit preamp?

[@darrendegouff9965]

I think "C" is the BAE. It sounded like the richest tone (no eq, but the carnhill transformer sound).

[@nelsonstarr5356]

Hey Soundpurestudios, what are the results? I've clicked the blue button and checked here but I don't see and haven't heard about the actual results. It's a shootout, we really need to know--for the sake of your journalistic credibility here!

[@Sneakyybstrd]

own the great river pre, had it for 8 years, my ears chose C though as my favorite, my least favorite was a, and b. Maybe I'll get a wa73 gotta here more tests.

[@BaserockStudio]

That’s interesting I thought the great river was my favorite all the way though (I also own a couple). I felt that the warm and bae’s top end was brittle and pokey with the bae being the worst.

[@duffharris9295]

Very surprised to find I liked the Warm Audio most and the Vintechs least... My whole world is upside down.

[@ASKYAmusic]

Great River is best to me. Smooth, not harsh, balanced and clear. Surprised by the BAE, sounded quite saturated in a harsh way.

[@epg2501]

And B is??

[@gmo2932]

Love that there is no answer of which is which. Every other shoot out always says the most famous brand is the best once they SEE which one is which.

[@nickpiscopo5]

I built that exact same U87 clone. not bad at all. gets most of the people who don't look at it 24/7

[@chrisjames_official]

It would have been nice to hear the pre/ eq driven a bit on each unit to here the field open up.

[@strazza555]

Listening on sonarworks calibrated HD600s, and like the vintech and great river the best. I own a vintech and was thinking about trading it for a BAE cuz of the hype, but its too aggressive, not what i want in a 73, it hurts my ears when he pushes his voice, the GR and V dont, GR is smoothest but may have a little too much low end if it was your only pre. I did not expect these results, but happy to be talked out of losing money in a trade. everyone seems to prefer the BAE, I wonder if people just like the more in your face sound?

[@trixlee5102]

And, dare I say, pro engineers make too much out of the differences in mic pres. It's understandable for a recording engineer to praise certain mic pres that they use all the time, but in reality most normal listeners aren't going to care or be able to discern the differences. These are all high quality and so close in sound you won't be able to tell the difference in a mix unless they are side by side like in this video. If you have any of these mic pres you should largely be set in your home studio, if you have enough channels of them. You'd probably get more mileage collecting different microphones for tonal variety in a studio rather than mic pres.

[@bryanunderwood]

B on guitar and C for vocals.

[@kral8104]

I don't have much spare time due to my work, and you guys just wasted 9 minutes of my day... THANKS

[@db-sq3oh]

C does the magic for me..great low end and sound so musical..D is no2 ..I dont like A and B..

[@clinterz]

The brand I usually like the best came in last. The brand that I have no experience with sounded the best to me. No major surprises, but really not what I expected.

[@BaserockStudio]

What brands are you referring to?

[@clinterz]

@@BaserockStudio I love all of the BAE pres that I've used/owned. Great River is the brand that I've never actually used and I didn't expect it to sound so good. I own a couple of Vintechs and the VA573 is what I currently use when I want the 1073 sound.

[@PapiCee]

B sounds great on his voice

[@pkjake8622]

Can you tell us which one is which now?

[@soundpurestudios]

Well, we don't want to spoil it for others, so send us an email and we'll send you the results, along with the high res audio files so you can compare the nuances without dreaded KZbin compression: proaudio(at)soundpure(dot)com. If all you want is the results, call us at [phone] during open ours (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST M-F). You can also send us a Facebook message, if that's easier: business.facebook.com/SoundPure/

[@TruenorthmtGod]

3 and 4. 4 being the best to my ears

[@rlpmlr]

I can't believe I just watch this whole video, and you didn't tell me what the pres were. I think A was the best. What was it????

[@EandVEntertainment]

Rick Parker the Vintech.

[@johnbreedlove3245]

Hello. Bad video for promoting your findings

[@TheAndrewforbes88]

I downloaded the hi-res files and while there are clear winners to me I don't think the winners justify their price. Based on this comparison I would go with the Warm Audio because it's the most affordable. The difference was not stark enough to spend the extra money and in my experience the Warm Audio stuff is pretty reliable. These all perform well. I really like the BAE, but it's substantially more expensive than the Warm Audio.

[@ProducerBryan]

BDCA. Results? Anywhere? Gah. 😔

[@chandeleerjet5637]

D was far more better on every source. So good that I'm ordering whatever pre that is when they get back to me with results.

[@mostyles328]

A competent audio engineer could easy work with any of these tracks. I would have loved to hear the comparison with just an audio interface preamp to hear the larger contrast as a baseline. Great video!

[@contactblaxound7040]

So the answer is?

[@JustMamba]

C sounded the best vocal wise.

[@rogerio_guitarist]

Whenever I go buy it I will definitely ask for A, B, C or D. Don't waste money on X, Y or Z!

[@laurakittykitty]

You forgot W! Don't waste money on W either!

[@torydanello2817]

I liked D and C in that order

[@andYz00m]

Nice video but there is a buzz in your audio track during the voice overs.

[@richiefamus8778]

Even on youtube, B is so big and creamy that it has to be the GR.

[@rachidajewher8649]

yes same thing for me this is exactly what i heard

[@rickyreyes30]

C is definitely the best. Can anyone say what preamp C is with certainty??

[@KeenApollo]

Wa 73

[@Lexxo777]

I like B the best, D a close second, A was OK except on mix (stacking), C was harsh and upfront, not smooth at all.

[@compucorder64]

A tended to be my favourite overall, especially on solo guitar, but also solo vocal. D was marginally my favourite on the full mix, sounded well balanced. I wasn't too keen on B overall, definitely stood out as the only one I didn't like: was smooth but too dark / veiled compared to the most open sounding A. C overall I still liked tonally, was similar in flavour to A in tone. Though it did sound a little driven by louder moments in the vocal; not as clean as A. Overall, I think I'd score them A: 9, D: 8.5, C: 7, B: 5. Be interesting to hear Neve's own 1073LB in the mix, since it's price is quite attractive, if you own a lunchbox. And the AML ez1073, and Heritage audio HA73 for good measure. In Europe BAE and Vintech are very expensive compared to the Neve 1073LB which is up there with the Vintech imho. The Heritage which is relatively affordable if you want EQ and don't want to go with lunchbox format. I tend to think in Europe it would be worth stretching to the Neve 1073LB, compared to the WA73 which is good, but not quite great. So the question for me is how the Heritage and AML stack up in comparison.

[@matthewray5343]

Oddly enough, BAE was the thinnest sounding pre amp of them all. Warm was actually more natural in the upper mids compared to BAE. The vintech was lacking to lows that the warm and great river had but it handled the harder transients better than the warm. The great river was the best out of all the preamps in this shootout. It was warm and balanced and had no breakage on the harder transients unlike (BAE and Warm audio). So overall: 1.Great River 2.Vintech 3.Warm 4.Bae

[@stillphil]

The singer by the way is a master ventriloquist isn't he...

[@rocketstudiocr]

yes indeed

[@SimonChampagne]

"B" all day, every day. They all sound pretty good tho.

[@SamSine]

Most definitely man! So much silkier!!

[@rachidajewher8649]

it sound like a cloud full with the depth and definitely not edgy and harsh like the others

[@uzefulidiot]

B, D, C, A. D and C are close enough.

[@artwerkmedia8616]

Thanks for wasting my time.

[@YngHstlr]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ANTHONYFERNANDO]

These results in the comments are pretty telling. A lot of people picking the Warm Audio when blind, but a lot of people hating the Warm Audio when they look at the results first. I think it's safe to say at this point they all sound equally good but slightly different, and to pick your flavour for the task at hand.

[@krissheehy]

I really loved the WA273 & BAE units. WA273 smoothed out the highs in a pleasing way but I can see how some may interpret that as muddy. Nothing the 12kHz knob couldn't adjust though. The BAE 1073 had clarity on the top end but I sometimes felt it was too much high end presence and could feel it getting a little annoying. Again, nothing a quick 12kHz knob couldn't adjust. That being said, If I had to choose between the two with a $799 price point vs $3200. Seems like a simple choice. :P

[@COLALIEN]

I like D

[@danielpool2039]

Well, I hate that I wasted a bunch of time watching your videos again. I can’t believe I fell for it for a second time. I assure you one thing I absolutely will not ever buy anything from you guys.

[@torta122]

To be fair, have you seen to the video where they placed results (Neve vs Vintech)? Man, it was a massacre in the comments. Everyone was saying they were hyping the vintech's even though they also sell Neve's. I sort of understand them.

[@tokiboi6777]

no credit for the musician. who do you think you are?

[@rachidajewher8649]

B have the body to sit in a mix like a king and i guess it's the bae 1073

[@nashvillehitmachine-offici7936]

In this shoot out A wins more transparent and open EQ what ya want

[@michaelcaplin8969]

No class keeping the results from us. This video helps nobody decide what they should buy, and I think that is the sole reason most of us are here. Too bad I, and probably many other here found one of these an absolutely awesome preamp, but won't be able to know which one it is and won't be buying any at this moment, even though I would have done so in a heartbeat had I known which one it is. Again, bad taste.

[@plan4studios977]

If your actually interested all you have to do is email them! They do this for your benefit not yours! So you use your ears!

[@daniel777L]

i hate them for this. i'd rather they had shriveled up and died instead of taunt me like this

[@premiumproductions9041]

I totally agree .. This video was a complete waste of time

[@ereiffman]

It's actually not that hard to force us to use our ears by withholding the results... But then revealing it at the end

[@DangerousOne326]

C on guitar and full mix. B on vocals, by a mile. Flattering pre for vocals, for sure.

[@DangerousOne326]

33 hehe good ears, for sure.

[@nutritiontheory6493]

Right there with you on vocals...sounds the most classic

[@adissabovic]

Wasn't paying attention to guitar (that kid surely can't play), but I'm with you on vocals, big time! :)

[@johnbreedlove3245]

hmmm... I wonder if thats the... bae... no. great river..? no... uhm.. i gotta take busy studio time to go look for it all... hmmm.

[@matrixmodulator]

Mic A: 1:35 Mic B: 1:52 Mic C: 2:10 Mic D: 2:27 Full Mix: Mic A: 4:34 Mic B: 4:62 Mic C: 5:30 Mic D: 5:58

[@paolocecchinelli]

Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Which is which??? :)

[@geckovision]

Whos the musician... No credit.

[@fatherofpearlmusic]

I was hoping he would get the guitar part right by the 4th take...