Unboxing and Initial Impressions: Musical Paradise MP-701 MK2 Tube Preamp

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Darn, I still have not said yes to them on reviewing it but maybe I should! It is bigger than I expected.

[@NoStereoNoLife]

Please, please, please review them Thomas! (Oh, I feel so honored. Thomas graced my humble channel.)

[@shogo3300]

@@NoStereoNoLife , Could you please advise on the max width and length of the capacitors traces on the motherboard? I have this pre on order and wish to do some cap rolling but unsure what is the max sizes that would fit on the board! Cheers and thanks in advance.

[@NoStereoNoLife]

@@shogo3300 Power filter (Bennic) caps C3/C9 are 1.5x2.25", coupling caps (Mundorf/Obbligatto) C15/C16 are 1.5x2.75"

[@st.michael9708]

Yes, please do Thomas! A lot of Class D Amps have only XLR - Inputs, so it's hard to find a Tube Preamp what has the XLR - PreOuts, especially in this Price Range.

[@thomastsiopoulos8597]

Please review as I would very much like to see how it compares to the Schiit Freya.

[@geoffreydebrito7934]

Great review. I'm sold on getting one. The upgrade path is entirely in another league. Tube rolling, capacitor rolling! The Power cord and Fuse can be upgraded. Happy to have it confirmed that it pairs well with solid state amps.

[@my2cents395]

I bought one basically because I wanted a remote. It made a substantial improvement and after a month it even sounded better. I'm still running the original tubes. I don't feel the need to up grade and there is a wide range of price. I don't have enough knowledge to change capacitors. The ones it comes with are very good and it would cost quite a bit to buy ones the "might" be better. You can change capacitor values so you could tune this pre amp to your other equipment. I did change power cord and noticed an improvement. I have no regret with my purchase.

[@hornsby5533]

Ich habe den Verstärker seit ca. einem Jahr und bin super zufrieden.

[@kabasta666]

Thank you for uploading this review. I am on the verge... And I, too, open and unpack new stereo equipment with my shoes off. Just better that way! Cheers!

[@NoStereoNoLife]

You're welcome. Rock on!

[@kabasta666]

@@NoStereoNoLife Say - did you happen to assess the "noise floor"? Was it "sssss"-ing between songs or when your server was stopped? Noise = sucks.thx.

[@bobsmoot8454]

Thanks for reviewing this cool preamp

[@peterseaman9542]

Thanks very much for the excellent review. I have the Musical Paradise music server connected to their MP-D2 MK3 tube DAC and i am ordering this Preamp MP-701 MK2 this week. Very excited. ps - you can take your gloves off now 😄

[@ferdzb1949]

I like your videos, concise but substantial information. Keep it up!

[@NoStereoNoLife]

I appreciate that!

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

Thank you for doing this review! Concise yet very informative. There is hardly any you tube review of this amp and am very glad you did literally the first impressions. Happy to hear you find it good. I just bought this amp with the stock Obligatto Gold caps, waiting for it to arrive. I wish i dont regret not upgrading to the Mundorf caps. Am connecting the amp to my Class D power amp similiar to yours. And am running Klipsch 6000f speakers. Good its not too warm and pretty neutral with a hint of warmth as you put it. How do you find the holographic feel, clarity and soundstage? Does it enhance the music when combined with your poweramp? Hope it would give me the same satisfaction as your experience. Keep up the great work!

[@NoStereoNoLife]

I'm glad you like it. It's hard to describe the experience :) I'll just say I tend to sit in front of my system a lot longer now. Pretty addicting even at low volumes. My system soundstaging was already good to begin with, so I did not feel a big change. I think the preamp added details helps in achieving the holographic experience easier and at wider listening position. Talking about details, I'm astonished how revealing the my system is now. I can hear female vocals smacking in lips. Another observation: I tried pushing the volume up FAR more than my listening levels and I find some music too sibilant. I'm not worried because I don't listen to that level, but my OCD in me tells me - I'm going to be tube rolling earlier than expected :D

[@rsmeshramesh6914]

@@NoStereoNoLife Thanks for sharing your impressions. Glad that it is revealing. I do prefer details. And yes, you do have a good system, well laid out too. Mine is a mid hi fi range so am hoping for further sonic enhancement. I cant wait to get hold of the amp and perhaps tube roll at a later stage.

[@alanmodimages]

Great review, but OMG this thing is Huge! Have to figure out where I would put it! My intention would be to pair it with a Schiit Vidar 2 power amp. Hopefully to get better dynamics and imaging than the Freya+

[@williammilligan1451]

I have the Freya+, Musical Paradise is in another league. Still love the Freya, but the Paradise throws a much deeper soundstage and resolves minutia without excess, improved decay, leaving instruments hanging in space longer.

[@alanmodimages]

@@williammilligan1451 Wow! Great to hear! I was also considering the Aegir 'Class A' amp to at least get me halfway there. So many choices, but yeah, the Musical Paradise seems like the real deal. Thanks!

[@williammilligan1451]

@@alanmodimages I have the Aegir (1), beautiful sound, but limited power, moved on to the Denafrips Thallo, and this with the M/Paradise put me in nirvana…Outstanding resolution with “you are there” soundstaging. Using a Gestard R 26 DAC and Polk R 700 speakers. See Jay on KZbin for Thallo review.

[@peterwood2633]

Thanks for this, really well made

[@larsv6144]

I am currently looking at the MP701 MKII as well, and also have a class D amp (XTZ Edge). Of what I read, the XTZ is at least as good a the ClassDAudio amp, so good to hear that you hear improvement with the MP701 and find it a good match.

[@NoStereoNoLife]

My ClassDaudio is old tech :D I really want to try the XTZ as well but since I will have my A700 actives by November, it's uncertain if I'm gonna keep the bookshelves.

[@GreyTileGaming]

Great review keep it up, just added this to my balanced desktop setup and you articulated my same findings. PC > Matrix H PCIe USB > Schiit Modius > MP-701 MK2 > Schiit Jotunheim R > RAAL SR1a. If you have success with tube upgrades please post your findings :D

[@NoStereoNoLife]

So far I have tried NOS RCA and GE 12au7a. These tubes are warmer so it's a match to my bright 705s2. I like the GE ones because they have better soundstage. Both these NOS have less gain than stock but it's worth it. I can listen to music all day long - no fatigue. Depending on your downstream gears, the stock tuges are no slouch either, I find them having really good bass (or maybe it's just the gain).

[@brighidclaire]

Thank you for reviewing this piece. Do you have any thoughts about its noise floor? At normal listening levels, when the source is paused, how audible is the hiss/noise coming through the speakers or headphones? A noisy preamp is a bummer. Thank you!

[@kabasta666]

yes. My question, too.

[@NoStereoNoLife]

Yes, there is noise when you press your ears against the speakers. It's the normal hiss from tubes. I don't hear it from my sitting position.

[@kabasta666]

@@NoStereoNoLife Thank you, NS, NL!

[@a88888888a]

Tube amps are musical but cause micro distortions in the signal path...

[@latle111]

Hi, great video. May I know what is that transport of yours and what do you play to control music with the iPad?

[@NoStereoNoLife]

I'm using Ropieee free software in Raspberry PI with Pi 7" display, connected via USB to S.M.S.L M500 DAC. The software in iPad is the Roon Controller. Thanks

[@gnoter2]

How does this sound in comparison to single ended dht preamp? Will be running 211 monoblocs....???

[@epg2501]

I have a pair of the same Class D Audio amps (silver face:)! Looking at this vs the Schiit Freya+ or beyond. Have you done any tube rolling yet? No issues running XLR to the amp, etc?

[@NoStereoNoLife]

I did lots of tub rolling :) This is the best preamp I had in terms of sound. I did have issue with voltage spikes in the outputs when powering up. Make sure you turn on the preamp first, then wait until all tubes are lit up, then turn on the amp. Otherwise, you may end up frying your woofers/tweeters.

[@ricardozepeda3368]

Hi EPG, sorry to bother you but I would like to ask if you went for the MP or the Schiit? I also have Class D amplifiers and still can't decide which one to get.

[@kvrhifi]

Try IsoAcoustics punk mini .

[@paulmorris1225]

Putting spike pads under cone feet defeats the object of the cone feet. They're cones, not spikes. They're designed to couple, not decouple. Just ordered one myself on the strength of your videos and what I've read on forums to pair with a Decware UFO25, which also offers similar upgrade paths. Between the two I can make them sound however I want. Thank you for your videos.

[@davehwong]

which power amp are you using

[@boris1970able]

Looks good 👍, but swap out those Chinese tubes for N.O.S or new production tubes from Russia and it will improve by 100% more .... only thing I don’t like no tube covers ! Dust magnet

[@NoStereoNoLife]

Thanks! I heard about mullards, genelecs, too. I have a short list of tubes to try. I'll start with affordable ones :) Please, if you have the tube number, post them here so I can search them.

[@thehaakone]

What system are you using? Speakers, amp, dac

[@NoStereoNoLife]

My DAC is S.M.S.L M500. My amp is Class D audio SDS-440C. Speakers - B&W 705s2

[@my2cents395]

Might sound better after a 100 hour brake in.

[@NoStereoNoLife]

Definitely! Thanks.