Tom Evans audio proves that their $30,000 audio preamp is garbage by filing a bogus copyright claim

[@rossmanngroup]

I made a mistake in this video. I said it was $20,000. 25000 british pounds is over $30,000. i stand by my original point & conclusion.

[@MARKHENSTROM]

Hey Louis. I respectfully request new cat videos posted before 2024 is no more...😻

[@mos8541]

IF we dont get some oool rules... PRONTO... then we'll be BOGUS TOO , just like lil tom tom is .... smFh

[@SunsetArchon]

​@MARKHENSTROM How about Mr. Clinton hissing at a 2024 calendar in the final minutes before midnight?

[@CentreMetre]

Seeing how the Britain is going, it probably wont be for long lmao

[@dontquestionjustbelieve5757]

Id recommend pinning this comment

[@DystopianDIY]

10:37 They can only make 10 units a year because it is so time consuming to remove all of the individual component identification numbers by hand.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

"We only make 10 per year as we have each component lovingly massaged by Geishas under the light of a full moon before they are assembled carefully by three deep gnomes under Jimmy Hofa's secret grave, resulting in the individually curated, overpriced piece of garbage we are tricking you to pay $30,000 per unit."

[@ContraNovae]

😂

[@botersause3627]

200 000k total revenue with shit parts, dude's swimming in money

[@Mordecrox]

At work there was quite a ruckus when something that we already suspected but didn't touch because legal didn't want to deal with was whistleblown by a low level grunt using circuit cleaner and ended removing the enamel covering certain ICs. They were all Arduino ATMega with serials filed off or drawn sharpie over, not some bespoke ic patented in Norway. Lie of omission made certain clauses null and now we can simply back up their sketches.

[@TedDobosz]

@@botersause3627 You are assuming that 10 units is all he actually makes and sells in a year. He might accidently make more ...lol

[@rubetz528]

Something to keep in mind: in that repair video Mark was very good-humored and made no remarks whatsoever regarding the amp's quality. He did not say the amp was junk or pass any other harsh judgment. He just let the viewer see for themselves. Then the manufacturer still decided to play it foul.

[@rossmanngroup]

He committed the crime of allowing you to think for yourself. That's just as bad

[@FrozenHaxor]

@@rossmanngroup Thought crime. Welcome to 1984.

[@sleepydragonzarinthal3533]

Exactly! ​@@rossmanngroup

[@Britephartt]

I'd like to add that it was Tom Evans who sent to Mark in the first place. You'd think he could mend his own stuff.

[@Xaelloss]

Obviously was too busy belt sanding the numbers off components to do that...

[@Lesmo1]

Thanks for sticking up for Mark, one of my favourite KZbinrs and one of the nicest guys on the planet. He didn't deserve this.

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Been coming to Mark's channel for years now. Definitely one of the most level-headed, highly skilled engineer I have ever seen.

[@Willam_J]

I'm a retired EE, and a life-long electronics tech/hobbyist. (Started at age 9.) You're right on both counts. I would let him work on anything I own, and I'm exceedingly hard to impress. I've also never seen someone, with such a sunny disposition. His bench could collapse, sending all of his equipment to the floor, and he'd say "Well, golly, that's a bit unfortunate." I'd be inventing new curse words! 😂

[@fx-studio]

Vid eo is over on r mble.

[@GarryMiller-s7y]

Mark knows his stuff.. Simple as...

[@TennSeven]

I just discovered him like a couple of weeks before the original amp video dropped. Subscribed right away because he's so great and wholesome.

[@summermoon6247]

Well done, Tom Evans. There are articles about this on German IT news sites now. Nice move to ruin your reputation.

[@akiraakiraakiraakira]

This is where I came from 😂

[@seabassdarapper]

The fact that people still aren't aware of the Streisand effect is embarrassing

[@MrSpirit99]

Exactly where I came from. I watched Mr. Rossman and Mark too much and had it off.

[@ravensharpless]

It would have just flown under the radar too. There's a channel that repairs guitar amplifiers and a bunch of high end ones that cost thousands of dollars are horribly designed and manufactured where it's not a case of if but when it fails

[@fx-studio]

Vid eo is over on r mble.

[@zed91]

Mend it Mark is great. Thanks for sticking up for him!

[@billynomates920]

yeah. dude doesn't come across as mr carlson but he's smarter than he let's on and is always cheerful.

[@rowanlidbury]

He only shows his process but doesn't actually teach you anything.

[@limogesfarmer6326]

I like his as well. :)

[@trevor245]

@@rowanlidbury Is he required to teach? I repair audio as well and I find his videos quite educational....

[@fx-studio]

Vid eo is over on r mble.

[@EEVblog]

Nice one Louis! Classic abuse of the KZbin copyright system, what a fool. The original video is also available on Odysee now, someone re-uploaded it. All creators should upload their content on multiple platforms for this reason.

[@rickoneill4343]

Thank you Dave!

[@Splarkszter]

Thanks Dave! You two are my inspiration!!!

[@tjroelsma]

Tom Evans Audio HAS to abuse the KZbin copyright system to protect his business. That video from Mend it Mark exposed that phono preamp for what it is in my opinion: an insanely overpriced POS. So now Tom Evans Audio is in a bind: do we not react and possibly see our business tank? Or do we try to take it down and hope future dupes, excuse me, customers, haven't seen that video and are prepared to pay our insane price? They obviously chose the latter.

[@EEVblog]

The full video is on Odysee: odysee.com/The-%C2%A325,000-Pre-Amp-that-went-Wrong---Tom-Evans-Mastergroove-SR-mkIII:c

[@lazymass]

"someone" 🤣

[@tschak909]

This is the same market segment of people who spend $25,000 on an audiophile grade Ethernet cable.

[@philscott7949]

The same people think nothing of having a fish tank in the room for ambience and say the pump noise is insignificant.

[@fineilldoit]

I get the tank for the pump noise. The fish are incidental.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Oh, but it uses copper-clad circuit boards. Ooooo! We made freaking alarm clocks with these in school ;-) Mine, from 1976 made from under $10 still works. Can't say that about certain phoney pre-amps, can we?

[@SEEYAIAYE]

@@jamesplotkin4674 No tubes?

[@crBudgetWatches]

25k is peanuts. There are 300k usd cables out there.

[@ZReviews]

As an audio reviewer here on YT, this is the type of stuff you absolutely have to set precedents for. Throwing around bogus CC claims and threatening lawsuits should be an unthinkable when someone critiquing your product, service, etc.

[@UmamiPapi]

[@Dubst3pT3ch]

I was hoping to see you here.

[@oscar3611]

You are not an audio reviewer. You are THE audio reviewer.

[@RealHomeRecording]

Bogus copyright takedowns are actually a federal crime. Unfortunately, the FBI suck at law enforcement.

[@matthouston8411]

your channel is great

[@GadgetUK164]

I am so pleased you responded in this way to his video - you are a champion of right to repair, and this does fall firmly into that category. If all manufacturers started behaving this way, none of us would be able to repair these things or review / look at them...

[@Blitterbug]

Mark actually gave props to the guy for the hand-matched components (which was actually real) and the sophisticated preamp chain. He only criticised the materials, construction and the sanding off of part numbers - and then only gently, with good humour, as is his style. Oh, and he didn't just draw the circuits by hand; he designed and printed a full service manual in a ring binder with professional CAD schematics! I think the stick that's wedged firmly up Tom Evans' ass is the comment section where we all collectively spat our coffee out at the price and shonky construction. I recall comparing the stacked PCBs to an abandoned game of Jenga. Great that you covered this, Louis!

[@G-ra-ha-m]

I hope the PDF of that service manual becomes available.

[@lc3853]

Jenga yes!! My immediate cringe as well. LOL.

[@Blitterbug]

@@G-ra-ha-m After this I think Mark would be a bit wary...

[@davidbutton3500]

$30K and no metal chassis? My 40 year old Fisher-Price record player has more solid construction, and that only cost $15.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

@@Blitterbug Why? It belongs 100% to Mark, lawfully and legally.

[@graxxor]

You need to sell a “Gargle my balls” range of merch.

[@kwisin1337]

Omg yes... for the sake of RTR.

[@whoevertf]

Honestly does. He can just add something specific to him, caricature of his face sayin it even? I'd buy a shirt.

[@outseeker]

pity i can't draw, but i'm imagining a teste satchel floating in a glass, instructions below: "gargle vigorously - Louis" also since u can print back and front, schematics or die on the opposite side pls someone :>

[@donnydarko7624]

Yes!!!

[@SuperTurbo9001]

Schematics or die with a silhouette of that guy in a hoodie

[@RectifiedMetals]

The old grind down the semiconductor part number trick of high end audio. Such a sickening practice.

[@stephenw2992]

At least it tips you off that its a piece of crap

[@marcogenovesi8570]

@@stephenw2992 also true for chinatronics

[@gcewing]

It improves the sound quality, by eliminating all the signal reflections going on between the sharp lines and corners in the part number.

[@arcadeuk]

There is nothing that would make me angrier, than if I had wasted £25k on a product, and the manufacturer tried to deliberately make it unrepairable and disposable, by removing all the part numbers

[@G-ra-ha-m]

@@arcadeuk I view it as fraud, the person bought the item, and it's been sabotaged for repair.

[@josue_kay]

Just ordered my 3rd Tom Evans amplifier. Absolutely brilliant piece of kit. Never used a better door stopper.

[@leonthayne]

Make sure to send Tom Evans lots of pleasant reviews and include images of the product.

[@fuselpeter5393]

Funny but if this was true, you'd still be the stupid one. x,D

[@knurd75]

I love how Mark is getting solid publicity by this. It is a very worthwhile channel to watch and Mark is impressive, as well in his work as in making these videos entertaining and informative. Thank you for shining a light on that one.

[@standarddeviation6428]

Mend It Mark just got a new subscriber! Thanks Louis!

[@gerrywade4482]

And so did Louis. Me!

[@billjames8036]

Early videos are not a joke, everyone has to start somewhere and you have learned and improved from those early videos. Good on you leaving up videos that you are not happy with but they do show that you have been on a journey and that journey is going up.

[@autotalon]

I have done the same thing, a few cringers up but I made them, so theyre going to stay unless theyre offensive or somehow illegal or something.

[@leonro]

That can extend to more than just videos, as some people delete old social media posts because they don't want to leave versions of their old selves for others to see, same with throwing away old journals, photos, and so on. While I get that everyone feels embarrassed about parts of their past, I think it's essential to acknowledge them in order to be aware of who you are and what your journey was.

[@billjames8036]

@@leonro Yes that is why the west is in such a terrible state, some want to forget the past or change it.

[@falcon-ng6sd]

@@billjames8036 "We have always been at war with Eurasia" "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess"

[@bruceleepunch1975]

I watched his video before it got took down. Mark is the nicest, most humble KZbin repair person that could ever be. Im glad Louis that you mentioned him and feel the same way. He has purity and childlike enthusiasm when repairing items, while still having some of the best knowledge and skills ive ever seen. A mention also to My Mate Vince as well for the same type of personality. Thank you Louis for being the bulldog that you are and being Marks champion, as this type of video you have posted would be so hard for him to put out, yet is so necessary to exist.

[@monohedron9633]

As his client actually, I can also recommend Mark's repair business. There's a long repair queue (he's literally booked 2 years ahead) but the prices are very low, work quality is bar none, so if you're not pressed for time, it's a place to consider. I repaired a tape deck with him, it waited over a year in the queue but was 'mended' perfectly. Use it every day now.

[@vietnammodeling]

It was the first of him l watched and found it quite entertaining.

[@ShanesGettingHandy]

I just watched it via the link Louis provided in the description. Great guy, subscribed.

[@Semi-C-Samurai]

Dude...I ran into this video, strictly by accident...and I am subscribing to your channel, because of it! You ROCK!

[@kjetiloftedal338]

To be fair: There isn't that much ripple in the power supply. The ripple is due to a shorted capacitor. After Mark fixes it, it cleans up perfectly.

[@Impackon]

That was also what I wanted react on. but you already did 😊

[@leonthayne]

From what I can gather, the MGMk3 is relatively good, only obscenely priced and delicately constructed. If whomever is building them went with a sturdier build and a more reasonable price, it'd be a very solid preamp for those who enjoy hand-made audio equipment. I bet a custom PCB stack made by a 3D printer would hold up tremendously better than nylon standoffs. It just boils down to greed and ego, which spawned all this to begin with.

[@sh4dowchas3r]

The worst part of it all was the Tom Evans sent Mark the thing saying along the lines of "I bet you can't fix it". Then Mark did after having to do quite a bit of work because Tom Evans spends his days grinding the numbers off of chips and obviously Tom got butthurt

[@max_uaminecraft1827]

I bet the main thing he didn't like is that he basically reverse engineered it and showed to everyone that there is nothing magical about what methods the device uses to produce a low noise output.

[@littlewicky1]

And Mark reversed engineered it and made a repair manual! I think that what got him in trouble. Just to be clear, I 100% don't agree that the video shouldn't have gone taken down.

[@SharienGaming]

@@littlewicky1 nah what got him was fraudulent DMCA claims - there is 0 legal basis... just youtube having no guardrails against abuse

[@TheSynthnut]

Separating fools and their money, the audiophile market excels. Some people have so much money they have to find a way of spending it I guess. Horrible behaviour by Evans, Mark doesn't deserve to be treated like this for certain. As for sanding components, this is an age old technique for the use of common components in high end gear. It's cheaper than trying to protect the design officially or when it's based on prior art and you couldn't. On a customer basis, I don't mind if something is based on a manufacturer's example, or an amazingly simple design, as long as it meets the claimed specifications and suits my criteria. False claims are another matter though.

[@TheRealFlamingNinja]

​@@littlewicky1 Clean room R/E is *legal* and writing your own repair manual would be your own IP which you have the publishing rights to.

[@christianmirandahehim8144]

I was hoping you would cover this. Mark is such a nice guy, it's a shame they treat him like this.

[@KarlHamilton]

Exactly. But in the long term this will really help his channel.

[@michaelblair5566]

@@KarlHamilton I never knew of his channel, but I will certainly check it out now.

[@KarlHamilton]

​@michaelblair5566 He's one of the cheeriest guys on KZbin. You'll see what I mean.

[@konnorj6442]

Anyone set up a protest petition to KZbin in order to get that video reinstated and the jackass they created the piece of s*** SmackDown not to mention counterclane needs to be done for the dmca is better the DMC if it is a absolute piece of s*** law there is a counterclaim system and this is obviously a clear case where it is being abused by the jackass

[@Terran.Marine.2]

I think it falls under defrauding the purchaser, myself in my limited non legally trained drain brammaged mind.

[@jgilmour9123]

I absolutely love mend it mark's channel- it's one of the best channels out there for electronics repair, I've learned so much. It's incredible that people still think that abusing the copyright system on youtube will magically make all their problems go away!

[@TheGitWizzard]

You just earned a new sub! As a MIM fan, a ‘UUGE thanks for stepping up to defend this great channel!

[@Shawn-q4v]

Hey Louis ive been watching your videos on/off for years now & its been awhile since you popped up in my feed. Just gotta say my wife & I noticed you are looking WAY better since you moved out of NY! Thanks for all the great videos.

[@ulrichfrank4270]

Marks videos and restorations are not only "very good" - these are masterful.

[@HansOvervoorde]

The diagrams! He does it like a proper master!

[@ulrichfrank4270]

@@HansOvervoorde Mechanical repairs (gears, cabinet restorations etc.) are mind-boggling, too.

[@HansOvervoorde]

@ulrichfrank4270 Absolutely!

[@Stan-Stanford]

I miss Louis and Tom Scott (among others) posting regularly. Enjoyed your stuff for so long.

[@MrMaxeemum]

The video wasn't even over critical of the device, he just went through it carrying out repairs. The most damaging part of the video was just seeing the shoddy assembly techniques used, which had nothing to do with Mark and everything to do with the manufacturer. We just saw that the Emperor had no clothes on.

[@duroxkilo]

the way he just giggles when things are awful :) like seeing the damage the case of that preamp suffered during shipment that he then fixed like it was a Rembrandt

[@padraighmcneill]

fukkin' thing looked like stacked Raspberry Pis

[@mhavock]

Yeah, the video had no malice. I was even wonder WTF he was even bothering repairing that garbage. I chose think he may just be doing for learning experience. Shame on them, I guess they dont realize EVERYONE will be talking about how GARBAGE their work is.

[@monad_tcp]

I found it funny that connectors don't exist, cables everywhere just soldered. must have been a pain to assemble, no wonder they can only make 10 per year.

[@joeshmoe7967]

@@monad_tcp I would prefer solder connections to connectors, in a $30K amp. Similar to running a 100 mic cable, rather than 2 50s. Less chance of a failure. Thing is, this is not worth anywhere near the $$$.

[@pmbouvier]

Thanks!

[@DougNoOnions]

Every time I hear Louis Rossmann talk, I have to double-check if the video speed is not playing at 1.5x the speed. You rock, man!

[@swiftxrt]

you too? I thought it was just me

[@cooperised]

I play all my KZbin videos at 1.5 speed so I really have to focus when Louis talks 😂

[@mohamedaboubakr1758]

at least the video isn't going 96 mph in a school zone

[@theonewithin609]

@@cooperised only 1.5?

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

@@cooperised ADHD much? :P

[@TheBrokenTech]

I like audio as much as anyone and probably more than most... there is no chance that a $30,000 preamp provides any value for purpose... whether or not it's made from Ali-Express kitted components or aviation grade components plated in gold. Good sound is subjective, but being a chump is usually pretty black and white.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

That isn't really true. A studio preamp can run 50k and more, especially if it's a sought-after vintage piece.

[@rossmanngroup]

@@chuckschillingvideos a neve 31102 is 10% the cost of $50k and that's as good as it gets. that and a THAT1512 based thing for a few hundred dollars & you're fine!

[@TheBrokenTech]

@@chuckschillingvideos I admit that I'm not a studio producer, but I would have to imagine the need for phono, mono, pre-amps has to be pretty darn low.. which is the context we're operating with here. However, what you're describing sounds more like something sought out for collector value and not particularly for any superior qualities (like the people who buy original SP1200s and TR-808s "just to have one"). Or perhaps something that has more functionality than a 1 channel pre. At a glance, the most expensive mic pre at GuitarCenter is $6500, and it's a 2 channel vacuum tube setup. There's a very nice looking Neve 8 channel for $6K. At a glance, 8/6 = $1333/channel. It's would take a lot to convince me the extra $33,000 would provide any additional value.

[@alrecks619]

@@chuckschillingvideos Avalons don't even cost 10% of that price range, though.

[@Dommifax]

@@chuckschillingvideos chuck shilling audio

[@s.wilson5675]

Mark's channel is excellent. He's very entertaining and knowledgable. A very clever guy. Thanks for sticking up for him.

[@MrGeoffHilton]

Great response Louis, I admire your fearless attitude to these companies. Keep up the great work.

[@Genpattonjames]

You just got a new subscriber, as did Mark. Wonderful , honest support of a gentle man who told the truth. Great on you!! We need more like this….

[@periurban]

I watched both of Mark's videos and he did a great job of the repair and then making excellent fun of Tom Evans. The part you missed in your video here was that Tom Evans themselves had sent Mark the device, saying he wouldn't be able to fix it! Mark doesn't say why, but the irony is profoundly satisfying.

[@j.f.christ8421]

When complaining about the ripple he also missed that is how is looked BEFORE the fix. It was fine after the cap got replaced.

[@v12alpine]

@@j.f.christ8421 it wasn't even power supply ripple. It was oscillation caused by the shorted cap in the low voltage section. I'm actually kind of impressed there were no other faults caused by that short.

[@PhartYeOlde]

Probably because some idiot sanded off all the markings on the components and because he can only squeeze ten of these out of his backside per year he forgot what he used.

[@Xaelloss]

The best thing about that "custom case" were the specially trained paper shims to stop panels rattling. External power supply bigger than the actual unit was just the icing on the cake.

[@Murgoh]

Yes, a power supply the size of a welding machine for a device requiring a couple of dozen of watts. I mean, it's a preamp, not a power amp.

[@nudebaboon4874]

I really wanted to see the inside of that.

[@andymouse]

@@nudebaboon4874 me too, bet we never do !

[@InCountry6970]

I agree, those card board shims look like an after thought, when he realized the case rattled.

[@davidhunt240]

... plugging in the PSU caused a voltage that made a tantalum capacitor go short. I bought a few bags of Suntan brand tants and around 1 out of 10 failed at rated voltage. Then I take those outside and remove the current limiter 😝 it's a shitty design that shouldn't be using tantalums in the 21st century...

[@PeterDrewVoiceovers]

Didn't go through all of comments to check if someone's mentioned this, but, to me, the biggest aspect of this situation is Tom Evans sent the unit to Mark to fix! While watching the video, I thought I heard early on that Mr. Evans sent the unit to Mark for repair. I went back and listened, and I heard it correctly. Evans reached out to Mark to fix the pre-amp. Did Mr. Evans think Mark wasn't going to make a video of his repair? And, then, after the video comes out and Mr. Evans doesn't like Mark's comments about the quality of the unit, he then files what appears to be a false copyright claim to get the video taken down. Mr. Evans should definitely stick to circuit design and not online marketing.

[@patmx5]

I didn’t realize when watching the original video that the unit had been sent by the manufacturer - I thought it was an owner that sent it to Mark. That makes the whole thing even crazier!

[@luviskol]

@@patmx5 I think the owner sent it to the manufacturer, was quoted a stupid price for repair and told them to send it to Mark. I could be wrong however, and am willing to be corrected. If the manufacturer was worried about his secrets coming out, insistence on a NDA would have stopped this. They didn't so anything afterwards, Knowing that Mark does have a youtube channel is fair game

[@RobCanada]

Thanks for standing up for Mark, I've been watching him for a few years now. You won a new subscriber as a result.🙏

[@josephpsmithe]

Marks video was great. Inside that pre amp looked like an online kit you could buy for $299. As a manufacturer and ex repairer, I would be happy for someone to pull apart my product especially if it was broken and put it on the internet. I could never release a product like that, I’d be ashamed too.

[@mindurbusiness-b3u]

wow those internals look like a kids lego house before they learned to overlap bricks

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

And the photo doesn't even do credit to the shoddiness of it all. I cackled when Mark took it apart and all these cardboard shims began to spill out.

[@Dutch-linux]

it was already falling apart before touching anything cardboard shims ti line things up.... even a child could do better then that and the components used were the cheapest you can find.... also i like to know where he gets the alien tech from??? surely not from the government!!!

[@panjak323]

It's pretty much a prototype build.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Thanks, Louis. Mark is a star, and one of the nicest people on KZbin. Tom Evans is a bully and is now discovering why attempted censorship does not work in the way he thinks it does.

[@Terran.Marine.2]

I do not think that word means what you think it means, to borrow from the princess bride.

[@baronvonschnellenstein2811]

@@Terran.Marine.2 Inconceivable!

[@Terran.Marine.2]

@@jimfarrell4635 I like that movie a little too much. Lol

[@jimfarrell4635]

​@Terran.Marine.2 Liking that movie is a sign of good character. I would never Mawwy someone who wasn't a fan.

[@grizewald]

If Tom Evans wasn't familiar with the term "Streisand Effect" before, he is now! Thanks for fighting the good fight Louis.

[@PeterDyall-bn7ut]

Thank you for producing this video and for supporting Mark who is such a decent and well respected person.

[@richarddunkling2807]

Thank you Louis and also Tom Evans - because of the KZbin strike bringing Marks channel to my attention Mark now has another subscriber. Having watched a re post of the offending video I am impressed by Marks skills, persistence & technical knowledge. Tom Evans ought to be grateful for all the free publicity. Without it I suspect very few of us would have known about this advanced better than Alien designed product.

[@PJK-444]

I've been designing electronics since I was a kid and as a career for decades. I watched the video when it was posted and was absolutely floored at the design and construction of that pre-amp. It looks like a 1st rev proto used for testing then thrown away. Then Tom pulled it out of the dumpster and decided to sell it.

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

Yup. I've been designing electronics for a living for over 30 years. No company I have ever worked for would allow something constructed like that to be sold to a customer as a finished product. It looks like a prototype built in a rush for proving a concept.

[@tedmich]

The Mend it Mark video was a true classic, the "25,000 GBP" equipment was 100% poorly made snake oil!

[@Francois_Dupont]

most audiophile things are like this...

[@jamesplotkin4674]

For that amount of obscene coin, it should have been made of billet aluminum and welded shut. To service, it needs to be shipped back to the insecure boy who made it and returned repaired and updated free.

[@HansOvervoorde]

Its enclosure and built quality were so very bad! For less than 250 you get a more than great looking extremely well precision made, very solid thick alumimium built to order housing from China with your brand name beautifully engraved. But instead it was all plastic. Which is so very not audiophile.

[@abrahamlincoln3181]

So like Monster Cables ? After seeing someone buying a banana duct taped to a wall for over $6 Million,and 12 year olds making $50 000 on meme coins,I'm not surprised that so many things seem to be marketing products,and not engineering products.

[@TheBrokenTech]

At least years ago, at the consumer tier, Monster Cables were a well made product that would last forever. Their various snake oil grade offerings are probably well made too. That pre-amp? I'm not as sure...

[@sweetiespoon5150]

Remember when some rube paid a stupid sum of $$ for an EMPTY cow print Dell PC box on EBay back in the day?

[@-eMpTy-]

You think monster cables is bad? That's entry level for audiophiles.. don't Google what 4 meters of AudioQuest Dragon Zero cost.

[@brianheaton5521]

When I worked at circuit City, even the monster cable rep said the product was junk.

[@rossmanngroup]

never forget how bluejeanscable wrecked them. it is worth paying extra to buy from bluejeanscable just because of the entertainment they provided while obliterating monster cable www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/index.htm

[@davematthewes7446]

Always good to see your past videos and follow the learning curve

[@UnintendedConsequences]

I’ve been a quiet subscriber for a while…. But now I am a huge fan. Louis spits out the proper model of Studer 2” decks?! That’s my man. Well done, sir. I’m a mostly retired audio guy who helped design, develop, specify, and / or market many of the world’s best recognized recording equipment from nearly all of the major manufacturers, at one point or another. It’s a pretty small industry; I have been impressed by how quickly you have come to many of the same conclusions that took me decades to work out. Kudos.

[@simontaita]

Mate Greetings from Australia. I love Mark's channel and yours. Keep up the great work 👍

[@Broadsword999]

I watched the Mend it Mark video and I was astounded by the way he did the repair, I wasn't surprised by the bullshit construction. Whilst you normally get what you pay for in Audio it gets to the point that 99.99999% people can't tell the difference between a £300 amp and between a £1000 amp let alone a £10,000 amp.

[@beefchicken]

My first thought was “has nobody bought one of these things and opened it up before‽” But then I realized that the kind of people that ignore “no user serviceable parts inside” are a mutually exclusive group from the kind of people that spend £25,000 on a preamp.

[@KonradTheWizzard]

I did that listening experiment years ago: went to a shop for music professionals (not one of those HiFi places that give you a phony experience to sell expensive sh*t). Brought two CDs with tunes I know and love. And tested about a dozen headphones. I could hear a (very very small) difference up to 150Euros, not beyond that (I tested up to 300Euros). I ended up buying a pair for 75Euros because the difference in quality was too small beyond that and those did not crush my ears while listening. They are good studio headphones and I still use them after over 20 years, although they do look rather battered now. I bet I could have spent all the money I had in the bank if I had gone to the HiFi shops around town.

[@brookerobertson2951]

It's a case of diminishing returns. But some people still want the oxygen free directional gold plated HDMI cable because they can definitely see the improvement. Sometimes I watch audio file youtube channels just to have a laugh sometimes. It's really funny if you watched them ironically. They are all sniffing their own farts 😂

[@pongisan3658]

That, and price doesn't even guarantee the more expensive it is it will sound better. Especially so if the manufacturer starts adding wild claims and pseudo science terms in the sales pitch.

[@paulstoakes466]

I watched him make a custom pcb to piggyback a new chip over one that was obsolete and unavailable in an old guitar effect box.

[@brucebruce5205]

Thanks for recommending Mend it Mark!

[@michaelmiller641]

Great! Thanks for coming up with mend it mark's defence, you're both great channels

[@wastelander89]

I always have respect for you and appreciate your content. Thanks for sharing this. Thanks also for calling out bs companies for doing the wrong thing.

[@Glockenfampf]

Thank you for introducing me to Mark. He seems to me to be a very nice and competent person who can explain things extremely well. As I enjoy working on vintage HIFI electronics myself, this channel is a real treasure trove for me.

[@MrHybridblue]

Thank you for covering this. I saw it on HackAday and the first thing I thought was "Is Louis going to do a video on this".

[@JamesHalfHorse]

I saw the video before it was taken down and he knocked it out of the park repairing that one. Glad you have his back. Can't wait to see what happens.

[@puciohenzap891]

Love how it all exploded, I see LR and even EEVblog here ❤ We should start a fundraiser for owner cause he isn't ever getting rid of that pos 😅

[@mallyd4521]

I have been a subscriber to Marks channel for a good while now and I love his work,I watched the video of him repairing this Tom Evans phono pre amp when Mark first uploaded it.

[@GregsKitchen]

God ive missed you Louis 😍

[@Vampier]

I watched the pre amp video when it came out - I don’t care about audio stuff. It I watched the whole thing without skipping because it was interesting and educational

[@outerspace78]

Same here!

[@patmx5]

I saw it too. I may have tin ears, but when I read about audiophools raving about how the $3500 AC mains cable they jut put on their CD player "made the highs higher and opened up the soundstage so incredibly wide and was worth twice what they’d paid", it makes me wonder - if your system is already near perfect, how much closer to perfect can you get? At what point do you hit diminishing returns?

[@sayeager5559]

I dont even own a soldering iron but watch every one of Marks videos.

[@snowblow1984]

You may like Erin's Audio Corner channel. Good sets of speaker measurements and explanations. He was also threatened with the lawsuit by a speaker manufacturer who's product measurements were ... well... not good.

[@pushslice]

A big second for Erin! My kind of high-performance audio enthusiast

[@Pinworm]

I enjoy your videos and the manner in which you do them.

[@undead574]

Thank you! Please keep it the way you have it, honest and straight forward... No BS

[@stevencraig]

The Streisand Effect strikes again! Thanks for doing a video on this.

[@johnbedell2376]

In the end, Mark's channel will increase while ACTUAL audiophile company's will suffer due to the HACK named Tom Evans.

[@ares395]

This company knows its clients really well. A lot of audiophiles believe in the wildest things and are willing to pay big bucks for magic claims. The funny thing is that for 30k you can pay someone to make a custom preamp for you with a seal of quality, a kiss and a blessing.

[@TheBrokenTech]

For that amount of money you should get more than a kiss. 😂

[@jamesplotkin4674]

@@TheBrokenTech "Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more."

[@gregorymalchuk272]

"You need to burn in your speaker leads." -Audiophool

[@TheBrokenTech]

@@jamesplotkin4674 Pfft.... For 30 grand I'd lay out my expectations clearly and in a contract. 😆

[@cadetsparklez3300]

alot of idiot rich people who pretend to be a part of something, not actual audiophilies

[@Casmael01]

Wow really surprised Rossmann got wind of this but probably shouldn’t be. Rossmann can smell right to repair bullshit from 150,000 miles away. Props.

[@edmundzed9870]

Thanks for your honesty and bravery. Keep up this kind of work.

[@tomwaller6893]

Excellent, Louis. I followed Mend it Mark and watched that video in full. I found it entertaining and educational. When he got the data sheets and reverse engineering on the go and produced that excellent new technical handbook, there would be trouble. Let's get rid of these scammers for good. The case design was a hoot. I am 75 and a former Marine Radio Officer and could make a better design case now on my kitchen table. How on earth his design did not get earth loops is a mystery! I miss your old NYC shop repair video. I am on holiday in Spain and they seem to have a far more practical grip on life than the Audiophiles of the UK and USA.

[@kenp9073]

So glad you saw that video. Mend It really knows his stuff. I love your videos, been subbed for many years. Especially knowing your also into good audio. Most music from the 70'ss and 80's went through a Studer 16 or 24 track tape machine!

[@SBCBears]

I struggled with vinyl for decades. I gave it up for digital. I, too, am an audiophile, but low-budget now. In the past I've owned brands such as Advent, Magnepan, Adcom, Cary and others. I now have a pair of old Monitor Audio speakers with reworked wiring and upgraded caps powered by a $200 DAC/Amp combo connected by Mogami cables. Speakers aside, the setup cost under $300 and sounds better than any of the multi-thousand dollar systems I once owned.

[@zenvultra]

What’s your setup?

[@Pheckphul1]

Louis, I love you! Your honesty and integrity are fantastic. Please keep up the good fight. I wish you all the blessings and luck in the world. ❤❤❤

[@mathumphreys]

Thanks for jumping on this Louis. We all love Mark.

[@p_mouse8676]

I actually design audio equipment professionally and it's these companies that give the entire field a bad name.😢 I saw the original video before it was taken down, and I haven't seen such a bad product in years. It screams bad amateur level all over. That's also the part that gets me the most instead of the price on itself. People pay big money for all kinds of exclusive products. Which is also not my thing at all, but at least you would expect the highest of the highest quality of components and construction. Hell, even put some exclusive materials in there. For 25-30k per unit you would STILL have a very healthy profit margin. Sad to see that someone is so desperate to cheap out even on that. Not even talking about the technical side of things here btw. That's sad on a whole other level

[@perwestermark8920]

Evans claim to fame is his "fantastic" discrete power supplies that are *so* much better than the 3-pin regulators "everyone else uses". All ignoring the fact that it's the filtering *after* the regulator that is the real deal. Audio electronics wants constant voltage - way different from a programmable laboratory power supply where I may expect it to deliver square wave output - suddenly blocking all normal.ways of filtering that output because the filtering would not allow the fast voltage steps expected. Evans then himself admits that different mains power cables makes a difference. Which would be him admitting his power supplies does a lousy aka terrible job... Poor Tom Evans - his design pride is sensitive to mains power cables...

[@joeshmoe7967]

I was thinking the stand offs, should be hand turned or engraved, copper or some exotic alloy. Each set of spindles literally works of art. 'Hand matching' components, doesn't add that much value, some, but not $30K. I need to find something cheap I can build and sell for $10K+

[@SDS-1]

I love mend it mark and have watched everything he had uploaded..... Even this video that got taken down. That equipment is far far far from needing to be that much money. Thank you for bringing this to more people to see Louis!!!!!! Love your channel too for many years ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@paulmon4077]

I'm one of the subscribers of Mend it Mark, and I saw this video of the expensive preamp. Through the whole video I was so astounded to learn how bad this thing was designed and put together, not to mention, the ridiculous price. Something didn't had up. But I was even more surprised when he said his video was deleted. WTF... he even didn't criticized it. But now I'm completely blown away with your video. I always admired you a lot now you are a GOD to me!! Thank you, thank you so much for posting this. It's a great gesture on your part. I'm really hoping you can repost his video

[@shansoley]

we love you dude. Always doing the right thing. With the knowledge to backup your claims. 30k for a preamp should be class A discrete transistor design - where the transistors were hand made in their factory. Or they made their own valves (tubes). Thanks for sticking up for all of us little guys!

[@henningklaveness7082]

Hey man I found your channel way back when it was all about artisanal BGA repair, before you even got into the RTR movement with your early Apple woes, and it was glorious. Never be ashamed of what your origin.

[@sonycans]

I watched that video and "Mend it Mark" is quite knowledgeable. I was disappointed that Tom Evans made a "nasty" copyright strike...

[@chriscflint]

Thank god for people like you Louis, we need those who are not afraid of nonsence. Old English saying "Bad things happen, when good people do nothing".

[@JFirn86Q]

I'm glad you uploaded about this topic... I was fortunate enough to see the video Tom Evans tried to bury. Absolute joke.

[@johnbewick6357]

Love watching Mend it Marks channel. Great that you have shown recognition of him here Louis.

[@chloeleedow7250]

Thanks for doing this video Louis!

[@kenabi]

a grand worth of parts (being generous, and including the case. that much acrylic can be expensive), with poor SNR and rail voltage ripple. and they charge 30k+ usd for it. even factoring in labor, nah. the very epitome of snake oil. the saddest part, i have lower SNR out of my little bear p-1 clone tube headphone amp/preamp. i paid $50 for it. its almost 100% silent with no real ripple on the voltage rails from a clean supply. and i just use some old hp printer psu, 18v 3A. from close to 30 years ago. utter ridiculousness.

[@nimblegoat]

I get small high end audio has a high markup , given the nature of the business. But you would expect only premium grade stuff inside, The inners in that look nothing special , not sure how important for phono preamps . You can get really good sound for $500 to $2000 with just a power dac and headphones . You can get good in your lounge sound from integrated or dac+whatever +speakers from $800 to $5000 ( most of that probably in speakers for $5000 ) I mean who really wants 2 monoblocks that weight 50Kg each a speaker that weighs over 100 Kg each How big is your listening room? do you really want a life size drum kit in your room , or full orchestra pumping out at 120 db or whatever, yes you will have compromises so what, you choose want super fast transients get this type of speaker , want sweet trebles that type , want biggest range then that one Amps I find a mystery for multitude on market, if it can provide enough power to not clip , and handle peaks/spikes against a black background ( no signal interference from other electrical sources or poor supply I suppose ) - you think that would be enough . Yet new ones released every year. Maybe custom toroidal transformers ???? WTF do i know Funny as reviewers testing PSU for computers test all the rails , to handle sudden peaks , and plenty in supply for next spike , and accurate the voltage is. Ie simple transformers for a electrical tool just cut the supply by X%, if supply is 220 volts and drops it to 22 volts , then in brown out your device will take 180v and transform it to 18v - So maybe not completely simple , but you would think amps should be real simple , hard to improve

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"i have lower SNR" I wonder if you meant *higher* signal to noise ratio? Higher is better.

[@JxH]

Once upon a time, I "designed" (more-or-less the reference design) a three-channel 10 kHz switched capacitor filter. The scientist wanted the three channels to be precisely matched - challenge accepted. I spent quite some time measuring and 'binning' the components to the PPM range (using the best available meter). Man-oh-man, those three channels were precisely overlaid. Success. It took weeks; the whole project was a summer job end-to-end.

[@blackrifle6736]

*The memorable satisfaction of a job well done lasts forever.*

[@tschak909]

The irony is how GOOD your average I2S connected DAC, or amplifier chip is, these days, and how unbelievably cheap both are.

[@1djbecker]

Many modern chips are so incredibly good that it's hardly worth characterizing them using the traditional metrics. But this preamp didn't bother with a modern design, instead using 'woo' along with inherently noisy constructions that would negate any potential benefit. One of the design techniques the preamp used was to average the noise by using four opamps in parallel -- a technique shown on a vintage app note for that opamp family. But that doesn't work nearly as well as an uninformed consumer would guess, since you now have four noise sources which are at least partially correlated. it would have been *actually* lower noise to more carefully design the layout, or simply use a different opamp, but that wouldn't have been as saleable to the golden ears crowd. (And using DIP switches in a low noise design, really? Sure, they weren't obviously in the signal path, but they were switching gain resistors.)

[@slidetek]

I2s has been a real game changer, the difference from Toslink, RCA etc. is astounding.

[@Boz1211111]

I want you to upload that video, why he not responding!!

[@rossmanngroup]

It'll be up by Monday or do. Lots of stuff to do before I can

[@TradesDigital]

It was Tom Evans who shipped the pre-amp to Mend it Mark, at the customers request as the quote to repair was too high. Then Tom Evans issued the copyright claim. Twat. I've seen at least ten re-uploads of Mend it Mark's video on YT today, sadly they're all 480p. Hope you can upload a higher resolution video, so others can share in solidarity of Mend it Mark - #StreisandEffect #MenditMark #TomEvans en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

[@hifiandrew]

It is almost moot, at last count I saw there's at least 8 other re-uploads of the original video hahahaha poor Tom is going to be busy.

[@fx-studio]

Its over on R mble as well.

[@hansvanderlinden6545]

Thumbs, all fingers and all toes up for you. Love your direct approach!!!!

[@blainelacross]

A correction: the ripple you show at 8:38 was the ripple on the output of the amplifier, not the PSU, and was due to the shorted tantalum cap. The design was still IMO rather poor - not least covering the fucking thing in tantalum timebombs - but you will not see multiple volts of ripple on the output of a device using LT78xx/79xx regulators unless they are falling out of regulation. I would imagine that if the output ripple of the device was measured, we'd see well under a millivolt of ripple, given the rather "overkill" scheme of regulating an already regulated set of supply rails.

[@nicholasvinen]

There's really little point using tantalum capacitors any more. As you say they're unreliable but also ceramic or solid aluminium caps generally outperform them in every way.

[@drelephanttube]

@@nicholasvinen Alien technology doesn't operate the same with ceramic caps!

[@ivolol]

@@nicholasvinen tantalums aren't microphonic in the same way as MLCCs, but can still be smaller and easier to place than a bunch of Alu electrolytic caps (and ECs are generally a bit of a waste using at only 1-22uF). You'll still find them in many many modern analogue instruments. There are also many common popular regulators which cannot deal with the vanishing ESR of MLCCs, which would cause them to oscillate.

[@ivolol]

@@mikw1809 the ripple was caused by the existing fault; and went away when Mark fixed the fault. Overall I suspect the electrical design of the whole preamp is quite sound, just not worth the exact asking price. Louis did a big boo boo not realising the ripple was a part of the fault, not the design

[@blainelacross]

@@ivolol I'll be honest, in a product of that price, I expect it to be film throughout - and the best film, at that. Tantalum is cheaper and smaller for capacity than a film cap, and it's true that it avoids the microphonics (and, depending on the dielectrics, it may perform better) than an MLCC, but this is a "price is no object" device. Alu-Elec for the "big" caps and film for anything small enough for it to be space efficient. Well, as if this design needed the space anyway... I recently "consulted" (using the term loosely - I gave some advice) on an analog signal processing board for a similarly exorbitantly priced audio device, and my advice was to just skip the penny pinching and use thin film resistors and polypropylene caps throughout for the same reason: with a device this expensive, there is more risk in raising your MTBF than there is in raising your BOM $20.

[@SunsetArchon]

Louis Rossmann is BACK!

[@checksum256]

We are SOOO BACK

[@brookerobertson2951]

The magazine what Hi-Fi used to have the golden Turkey award. Every year they would pack some sneak oil audio device and give them the award. This would have been definitely a contender.

[@j.f.christ8421]

It's not actually snake oil, it does exactly what it's supposed to do and does well. It is, however, very very overpriced and poorly constructed.

[@yo3429]

That's funny, What Hifi itself is a contender for tin awards :) *****

[@seroni17]

I would argue it doesn't do it very well giving away it's made. ​@@j.f.christ8421

[@brookerobertson2951]

@@yo3429 what is the tin awards ? Also I'm aware of what Hi-Fi would give good reviews to people who advertise with them. I in no way think that they are the gold standard of journalism.

[@ecstrat100]

@@brookerobertson2951 That's why I quit reading that swill 30 years ago. Glad I never got into that crap and just built the stuff myself.

[@jeronronnunkoffunk4691]

Wow, I am totally new to your channel, but being a person who’s hands-on and has worked around with old equipment and assisting more experienced technicians who have been my mentors, this is very telling . Have seen measurements of what is otherwise considered high end pieces that exhibit less than ideal performance. I was not familiar with actual part numbers being shaved off. But I am familiar with companies also in casing some manufacturers parts of circuits in boxes, making them hard to access. Thank you sir for bringing this to the front line and standing up for someone actually involved ethical practices . I will be subscribing to you.

[@gdwnet]

I've never heard of the guy before and now thanks to this video i'm subbed to him and wishing him all the very best.

[@billsybainbridge3362]

Maybe it's just a semantic difference of meaning, but those nylon pieces that hold the Daughter Boards together in that Pre-Amp I learned to call "standoffs" rather than "Headers" while I was working as a Line Tech and later an Inventory Controller at Symetrix, Inc. (Pro Audio devices, primarily Dynamics Processors) back in the '90s. "Headers" in that world were referring to Multi-Pin Dual Inline Horizontal or Vertical PCB-Mounted Connectors, often used to connect different PCB assemblies together with Ribbon Cable, or other Wire Looms, etc. Also, while I respect Jim WIlliams' opinions in many areas (I think he designed some aftermarket mods for a few of the Symetrix units,IIRC), the NE 5532 Dual Op-Amp still has its uses, and is still a useful device even today. Yes, they consume more Current than the BA 4560's we often used for generic Op-Amp functions, and wasn't as fast as the LF-353s we used for certain Filter Functions, but they were considerably quieter than many other choices available at the time, which is why they are still being manufactured today. Are there better ones available now? Surely, but for more trivial circuit functions (i.e. proper Gain for their Bandwidth, and less reliance on them in the Audio Path) they still have a place, in other words, these devices are VERY topology dependent. I generally agree about Tantalum caps though. I usually rue their existence, given the thousands of failures or marginal Leakage Current specs from units I replaced during my tenure at Symetrix.

[@stephendredge6077]

I was a bit confused by the disrespect of the 5532, thought Louis meant to say LM358 or something. Thinking you need a better opamp than a 5532 is in most cases audiophoolery.

[@billsybainbridge3362]

@@stephendredge6077 - Yeah, if there were Op-Amps that became truly obsolete for audio the 741's or their ilk would probably be it, although for use as a Comparator they might not be too bad (they were a standard one in the cookbooks alongside the 555 Timer IC's for making Oscillators, among other things). But as we discovered at Symetrix, once a certain level of sophistication has been reached, there begin to be trade-offs. Our standard ones were 4560's which were fairly stable, and reasonably quiet, but had enough DC offset that we ended up using 353's in Filters instead because of their Slew Rate, but this came at the cost of increased noise. Usually speed comes at the cost of noise.

[@jtsotherone]

@@billsybainbridge3362 agree 100%, a lot of people that 'hot rod' gear by upgrading to video opamps end up with equipment oscillating away in the 100K+ range with poorer performance in the audio band than the 'slow' gear they started with! That's not intended at Mr Williams, he's done some amazing work, but those kind of upgrades are rarely plug-n-play and ultimately it's about the design not the components used.

[@ivolol]

True, at the price point you can get a surface mount NE5532 nowadays, they're practically impossible to beat on a value of audio fidelity / price. Sure, you can very easily spend more, and get an even better opamp. But as a standard part it's very hard to beat.

[@edgar9651]

With the ripple in the power supply: As far as I remember this was what Mark repaired, it was a bad capacitor. As far as I remember it, after he fixed it the power supply was working fine.

[@marvingudel605]

Jep, the circuit design seemed to be all right and performs quite good I guess. But the overall construction is just terrible with so many bad practices and room for improvement. Just to name some things I found especially bad when watching the video: As pointed out the nylon standoffs are just a bad choice in this design. Using nylon screws to hold the components on the heatsinks is just terrible, as they soften when the get hot making the contact worse, causing the component to get even hotter. In some places components had to be bent to the side for the next board to fit. The powersupply is a giant separate unit (which wasn't taken apart), which seemed like a total overkill to me. Also the powersupply didn't had a standard (not even close the the preamp) form factor so you can't stack the devices in your setup.

[@christopherward5065]

Mark’s videos are really absorbing he is skilled and knowledgeable. Tom Evans is well respected here in the UK and I think his equipment is usually sealed or at least difficult to open. Because there is no alien technology and the fault was something that an engineer like Mark could identify and repair his main challenges were the construction style. He just worked with it and achieved the repair. I’m certain Tom’s preamp is great but it’s built like a prototype and exposing that will have dented his reputation. More than that, having the video taken down will really do Tom no favours. Perhaps he’ll pay for someone to improve the architecture and build quality instead of personally hand-building and charging for his time rather than the product.

[@JasonOBrienThinksHeCan]

Searched for their product and Tom Evans will have tons of work to take down all of the sites bashing their product and actions.

[@G-ra-ha-m]

Since he squashed the video, - lots - of new threads have appeared!!

[@robnobert]

Dude I've been watching you for idk 10-12 years ... you look younger than you've ever looked!!!! Whatever you're doing keep doing it 😅❤️

[@polromeu]

Seen. Superb video by Mark. Thanks Louis.

[@NickT6630]

I watched that video. MendItMark made an excellent video on repairing an over priced £25000 pile of crap preamp made by a dubious snake oil company. Thanks to Louis Rossmann for covering this story.