Vintage Neve 1073 vs. Vintech X73i Mic Pre Shootout

www.soundpure.com/p/vintech-au...
The Vintech X73i (Neve 1073) Replica is compared side-by-side an original pair of Vintage Neve 1073's in a scientific mic preamp shootout at Sound Pure recording studios. For the shootout, The Sound Pure Steinway Concert grand piano was recorded using a matched pair of Peluso P12 Tube microphones (Vintage Clones of the AKG C12 microphone) spaced across the piano's strings. Each microphones' output was split, one to the Neve and one to the Vintech X73i. Volume output at identical levels was tested by verifying virtually complete phase cancellation between the two signals when summed together (with one preamp set to phase reverse). The Vintage clone Vintech X73i blew the minds of the engineers at Sound Pure studios, as the differences between the Vintech and the Neve were imperceptible. After the listening, the Sound Pure engineers discuss their impressions of the sounds that they were hearing through the studio monitors in the Sound Pure control room. Sound Pure is a proud seller of Vintech products, and can be reached to answer any questions about the mic pre shootout, or if you'd like the high res audio files for your own listening. Sound Pure can be reached toll free at 888-528-9703.

[@enacra101]

what a sweet job to have, great job on the test guys, I agree both preamps sounded more or less identical

[@axpsticks]

Great guys! Wonderful test. Great to see knowledgeable people doing these test and its even greater that you can shut people down who are over technical and miss the topic of these type of test (SOUND).

[@Hue_Nery]

Nice job on the shootout. Well thought out and thorough.

[@paulotonedef]

I didn't expect such a HUGE difference. But there it is.

[@fiddlefolk]

I have been looking at preamps for awhile and i think i will build my studio around a couple of these x73i's! I agree with the gentleman who stated the transients seemed more focused on the original but for the price difference and reliability i can certainly live with such a small difference! I really like the Peluso P12 paired with the x73! Thanks again and nicely done!

[@soundpurestudios]

Thanks. That's really interesting that you found there to be a big difference - we've tested numerous 1073 (originals) against the Vintechs, and found that the 1073's can differ from one another quite a bit. In fact, in one test we had 3x vintage 1073's with a Vintech, and no one could not pick out the Vintech, even knowing that it was one of the 4x recordings. Very interesting stuff... a lot of people don't realize how much difference can exist amongst older units themselves!

[@soundpurestudios]

Hey thanks. We love them, and actually we have a lot of visiting engineers and producers who say "what are those speakers" because they are so impressed with the detail and precision, but also the fact that they keep sounding great and don't fatigue the ears, even in longer sessions.

[@soundpurestudios]

Thanks for the support. We were pretty excited about the results (as it was probably obvious from the reaction part of the video!)

[@MightySaturn5]

@soundpurestudios logical and obvious point...thanks for putting this shootout up and have a great day

[@bentyreman5769]

I can hear differences on my neumann KH 120 monitors, and that difference is, the real neve's sound way better.

[@JohnPickup-CDHS-ze6qd]

Doubt

[@harpoleon6806]

Kool dry flex bro

[@ghaibboy]

@soundpurestudios thanks for the reply.. and thanks for guiding us into the right option of a thousand gear ou there.. keep the clean sound and video quality guys.. you are the best i guess :) we wait here... greetings from bali-indonesia

[@soundpurestudios]

@magicalmystery77 Hey, thanks for the comment, and for the careful listen. The only discernible difference we could hear between the preamps (after doing this test a lot more extensively than we could demo in a short video), was that the Neve has a good bit more of idling noise- just a higher noise floor in general. This honestly could be what you are hearing, and in some cases wouldn't be a bad thing. With repeated music playing through them, they could null to the point of only noise too!

[@MrArmen1157]

@soundpurestudios thanks SOundPure Appreciatte People and studios like you wanting to help out an better music in all its forms

[@soundpurestudios]

So true! Although on reason to ask us for the files is for mobility - a lot of people enjoy taking those high resolution audio files to their preferred location for listening - car, ipod, home stereo, etc. The biggest mistake people make reviewing comparison videos like these (particularly where the results are so incredibly close), is trying to listen on their laptops at 360p!

[@soundpurestudios]

Golden ears through youtube compression - that exceeds gold, that's a dream come true. If you'd like to actually listen to the high resolution files, you might feel differently. It's really easy to say one is better than the other when you know the results as you are hearing them... it's a lot more difficult to listen blind and feel the same way. We've heard shootouts with 3x Vintage Neves, and a single Vintech, and not one of the 4x grammy-award winning engineers guessed the vintech!

[@soundpurestudios]

That sounds great! The 273 has an identical preamp circuit as the X73i (which is what we tested), just a slightly more limited EQ, but in these videos we didn't test that portion. The 273 does give some extremely useful high and low shelving curves which are perfect for tracking situations. The more powerful EQ on the X73i is also powerful in mixing or mastering scenarios, if you are also concerned about a great EQ. We will shoot you a private message about picking one up...

[@soundpurestudios]

@Metalshad0 Thanks for your critical and careful listen. The reality is that we probably could have found a different pair of Neves that behaved a bit differently than these two, and the results could have been even far closer. We just had an experience here recently with a 1073 we rented for a job, and it was way "off." The old ones do have some variance, so it's likely that the differences here wouldn't be more than you would expect from two different sourced original vintage 1073s. Thanks!

[@mproductionsmusik]

The original sound warmer, smoother and big! Lost of low end and depth on the X73! The tonal balance is not the same!

[@soundpurestudios]

@gclef101 Thanks for the comments! The OneQ is a great entry into outboard EQ and Compression. While the preamp and other components aren't going to be as good as the Vintech or Vintage Neve, you are getting a LOT of bang for your buck for under $1k. Depending on your needs, the OneQ will certainly get the job done. I'll PM you and we'll discuss this more at length.

[@soundpurestudios]

Thanks a lot for the comment! Interesting to hear- we tried the same test on several different sources (including a snare), and even matched the EQ's on some material. I know that there can be major differences among the vintage 1073's due to their age... but we weren't able to recreate and major differences. Do you think that the differences could have to do with the 1073 you tested, or did you try multiple units? We only had the one pair here and they were spot-on in all tests that we did.

[@soundpurestudios]

@RAYGproductions Thanks, Ray, yes these definitely should be in your studio!

[@marchofflamesgmail]

This video was great! Really informative and interesting.. now I just need enough money to order one of those gorgeous x73is :D

[@tricky717]

I've listened to the examples and also read the other comments. I have purchased a Neumann M149 tube mic but no preamp. I just use a dbx 160xt mono compressor then from there right into my digi 003. There are so many choices and to tell the truth I am perplexed. I have about $1800 bucks to spend but too many choices. Most music stores do not have a wide variety to choose from. Any suggestions.

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Fantastic. If you want pristine clarity the vintech was perfect. If you want (slightly) lossy but AMAZING vibe and ear gold the 1073 is just...it’s beautiful. Great demo guys.

[@RAYGproductions]

Nice have to check out the Vintech..

[@isnerdy]

Listening to this on ProAc monitors through Naim amplification, I can tell you that I did hear a difference. The vintage sounded warmer, and more buttery-smooth, while the new one sounded cleaner, more detailed, more tonally neutral, and had more authoritative bass. The new preamp definitely seemed to be more resolving on the decay, which might just mean it's less noisy than the vintage gear.

[@melvinvasquez8518]

Vintech sounded clearer and more brighter but thinner, whereas the Neve sounded warmer and more dense. I like the neve better, the sound just melts in my ears like butter. There was a clear difference to me.

[@soundpurestudios]

Lynx "Aurora" converters... there is 32 I/O of them at SoundPure Studios. We have tried a bunch [and I do mean A BUNCH] of others and these keep winning shoot out after shoot out after shoot out. They're absolutely fantastic little boxes that do their job in a wonderfully competent manner!!

[@soundpurestudios]

The Bricasti M7 is probably the best, most natural sounding reverb, that has ever been created. We hope to have some clips of it live on youtube next week. Casey, yhe designer of Bricasti was just here, and we caught some video with him, and ran a few tracks through the Bricasti... it is stunning. It gets used on every session here at Sound Pure. We can't (and won't) go without one!

[@soundpurestudios]

@RainKingRecording We've definitely heard people allude to this point, but haven't had great luck at reproducing the differences, even after trying it on things like kick and snare. Just haven't been able to discern any realistic differences (at least none that exceed the differences between one 1073 to another). We tried this test extensively on lots of other things than what was in the video, but just couldn't make the differences happen. Can you hear differences on THIS recording?

[@soundpurestudios]

There are all kinds of fun things you can do with this style amplifier in terms of creating harmonic distortions that are musically pleasing. Driving the intermediate gain stage's tantalum capacitors [which have a constant DC voltage sitting on them] can create an "air" that goes very pleasantly with the character of the low frequency phase shift caused by the input and output transformers. The low frequency saturation characteristics of the LO1166 output transformer is also a consideration.

[@KwazyTwang]

Yeah. My brother works for a friend of ours that used to carry Focal. Those beryllium tweeters are awesome. We're actually working on recording with our small time home recording studio. We've got a couple RME preamps. An Avalon U5, Dynaudio monitors. It does the job.

[@tricky717]

Do you think that the Daking Mic Pre one would be a great choice for the M149. The reason I ask this is based on the fact that it has a roll off pot up to 200hz. I have not seen that feature on other preamps. Thanx

[@soundpurestudios]

Sounds like a pretty decent little lineup of gear that you've got. Just used a U5 on a major recording project that we finished yesterday. Honestly, we help studios of all shapes, sizes, and budgets, not just the huge record-label ones... in fact, most of our clients are home studios these days. The big boys just don't have the budgets to keep upgrading... let us know if we can help with anything you are doing at all. Thanks for the comments, we really enjoy the feedback!

[@soundpurestudios]

@T74G The only reason to demonstrate the phase cancellation in this case was to match the volume levels of the two different preamps in the comparison- if one preamp was louder, even in a very slight way, one might sound better or just different than another. With the phase cancellation so tight when we tested them in this case, it was a demonstration that the volume was not only locked, but the frequencies were incredibly close to each other demonstrating their extreme similarity. Make sense?

[@soundpurestudios]

We don't have a video on it [at least not yet]... but there are 3 main gain sections to these units. There is the main output amplifier [in the original its the B283] and two input gain amplifiers... one that is setup to take you to about 40db of gain and another for the rest of the gain scale. The output gain knob sits in the same place a fader would have sat on an old console... which will give you a fair margin of latitude in terms of crafting your sound vis a vis how hard you drive the amp

[@drumlyell]

@whitepapagold The engineers were not pretending to move faders and push buttons, they were simply solo-ing or muting the outputs of the two signals they were comparing. Thats called A/B-ing, which is what the guy said they were doing. Not everyone can afford or wants to deal with upkeep of vintage gear, so videos like this are a lot of help when choosing gear for a new studio.

[@soundpurestudios]

@desol333 Thanks man, will do. Not sure when we will get Vintage one back in here, totally depends on the artist/producer requirements... could be tomorrow or in a year, but we have some other things we'd liek to do with them when we get them back here next!

[@soundpurestudios]

@CoGnAcDiPpEd1 Thanks for commenting- we can definitely help you when you are ready to grab your X73i, we try to keep them in stock at all times! We happen to also like the ADL600. They are quite different sonically, but both wonderful sounding, and both very musical and versatile. What type of music and instruments are you recording? In a perfect world you could own both of these amazing things. The 1073/x73i is something very special for sure.

[@jacobbuxton932]

The 1073 sounds so much better.

[@soundpurestudios]

@ghaibboy We tested this on a lot more than just piano, but since the piano had the largest range, has fast articulation, and tons of harmonic information, out of all of the tests that we did, this one seemed to say the most. In our more recent tests we do attempt to demonstrate comparisons in more than just one context. Thanks for your comment-we have many more of these coming, and will take your advice into account. Let us know if you want to chat about these, since we have done more tests

[@soundpurestudios]

@VintecFreak Are you listening to these clips using the 720p (HD) youtube setting? If not, things can definitely be very phasey. Are you referring to the two clips sounding out of phase to each other, or the microphone positioning inside the clip sounding phasey? Perhaps you would like to hear the high resolution audio samples for yourself- you know those are always available- you just have to e-mail us and we will send them right out to you... lots of these have sent for critical listen!

[@soundpurestudios]

@VintecFreak Do you have the high resolution files? You will have a lot easier time determining if that's the case if you take a listen. The preamps were setup with phase reversed for the purpose of canceling each other out to match levels, but then phase was returned to neutral (99.9% sure that's the case), no one else seems to feel that way that has gotten the high res files for analysis. The youtube compression is quite poor, and unpredictable, the high res files are the real deal.

[@soundpurestudios]

@michelepellino Sure, thanks... it's a tough balance- I think our videos have gotten a lot better, this one was posted over a year, but the challenge is appealing to such very diverse backgrounds... some of our subscribers barely know what a mic preamp is, and some are grammy-winning engineers, so it's really tough... perhaps this one has a bit of that "appealing to the least common denominator" to it. But, we certainly support beginners as well... thanks for watching and supporting us!

[@soundpurestudios]

@kidmoonmoon Absolutely- we are here whenever you are ready to help make it happen (best prices around also!)

[@soundpurestudios]

@Whyrendog We just had the pleasure of visiting an entire jazz tracking session divided accross all channels of Vintage Neve, and brand new Vintech units over at Quad Studios in New York City. There were some absolute A-list recording engineers there- they couldn't hear the difference when making the switch, accross entire mixes, nor on the individual channels... it was pretty awesome to see it done that way. There is a difference- there is more noise on the older units

[@soundpurestudios]

@completeinssolutions Thanks for listening and commenting. Interesting take. The variations from one VINTAGE 1073 to another can be enormous. We have done this test many, many times, and have found a substantial variation accross the modules that we have encountered. The only real difference between the Vintech X73i and any one 1073 that you choose will be differences based on THAT 1073. The Vintech's remain far, far more consistent from unit-to-unti given that their parts are brand new.

[@soundpurestudios]

@RockHardPianist Thanks for the comment. We actually think that many people are so obsessed with the concept of "vintage" that they won't even consider the possibility that a new piece could replicate it. We don't hate vintage gear, in fact we love the sound. Problem is that we are looking for ways to create a sustainable future for gear, and the sustainable future lies in being able to clone sounds that we love so much- bottom line is that gear ages, and not always well. Thanks for posting!

[@soundpurestudios]

@MartinRyleOShea Thanks for the comment! We can certainly make it happen when you are ready :)

[@tricky717]

Thanx a mil. I will call you guys first thing in the am and we can go from there. AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!1

[@Whyrendog]

@soundpurestudios Good point, yes a new sound vs the sound of older equipment. I was thinking there is something to the whole noise thing that's "needed" since Slate Digital decided to emulate it in the Virtual Console Collection. They talk about it in the behind the scenes as being the glue for the mix by using it on each channel over some mix bus ultra summing algorithm. With the Vintech, I'm sure they can come close with some digital plugin or analog method/tape saturation or something.

[@soundpurestudios]

@Metalshad0 There are actually a large number of factors that relate to the sound, including the circuit, the pots and switches, but yes, the transformers play a really huge role in these things- but they are not the only role. The reality is, largely due to how remarkably wonderful the various Vintage Neve preamps sound, people like Vintech have done a fabulous job replicating it- be sure and check out our video on the 573 (Vintech's 500-series module) against a vintage 1073.

[@soundpurestudios]

@didubz Thanks for the idea- unfortunately we don't have those EXACT Vintage 1073's to do that sort of testing, and the Vintage ones really do differ from one to another. When we are able to get things this close in comparing a brand new piece (with consistent components that are new), and we have various originals that are 40 years old, if we repeated the expirament over and over again (with different originals), you'd probably hear subtle differences each time- that's been our experience.

[@gclef101]

I like you guys reviews and shootouts. I wanted to know if you guys have ever had the chance to listen the Joemeek OneQ? If you have how well does it do on keyboards, bass and guitars? I am trying to learn how to record use EQ and compression going into my daw and I thought at the price of Joemeek it might be a good way to break into learning how to record. Any insight or advice would help. Keep making good vids!

[@GaiaBuzz]

This Sound Off really shows how good the Peluso's are!

[@_20nine_]

I notice with these comparisons, it heavily depends on the source material. Drums behave differently then a piano, the transients are different, and you can start to hear the differences a lot more. But they both sound very nice. I also find the vintage gear is smoother.

[@soundpurestudios]

@SteveBrownOfficial Thank you Steve for the comment, it is our pleasure! Please let us know if we can help in any way with any gear needs that you might have, or any recording suggestions that you may need.

[@soundpurestudios]

@MrArmen1157 Thanks for watching, posting, and for the critical listen! If you want to discuss any of the options that are out there, we are always here for you.

[@soundpurestudios]

@starchildExcalibur Thanks for the comment, and the careful listen- with all honesty, that hasn't been our experience at all, nor the experience of the others who have done the direct side-by-side comparison. Have you listened to our high resolution audio files? We will gladly send them your way! If you listen to the high resolution audio files blindly, your ears will probably play tricks on you the way that they have with the others around here! More shootouts coming. Thanks for posting!

[@thetempleofsound]

Listening in my studio on good monitors. I am surprised all these guys in their studio couldn't hear the difference. I wanted to like the Vintec but OMG the 1073s are sooo much better! They sound similar but they feel so different. The Neves have a dimension and harmonic content that melts that piano into my brain. I could listen forever. The Vintecs sound great, clean and nice. Great Piano micing in general though. Nice comparison, but I still don't know what to buy now lol.

[@caminglis53]

Exactly 💯✔️

[@soundpurestudios]

@krautio Then you'd have to come to SoundPure Studios in Durham, NC. If there is a microphone / recording system involved then you need to have a pre-amp in the signal path

[@tinktwiceman]

I'm ready to buy a 1073 replica.. But I am torn between the X73i and BAE's 1073. Could you please help me make a decision and state the differences? Thank you

[@100percentGetDatCash]

Thank you soundpurestudios. I now know where to spend my coin. I looking to purchase a x73i and a Peluso VTB Vacuum very very soon for vocals. I just need a decent compressor. Any suggestions? Thanks in advanced!

[@soundpurestudios]

@Beast1333- when the units sum to the point that they don't register on the audio meters, and the audio sits at the noise floor and only contributes to the perception of noise/interference, in our opinion, for the purposes of a listening test, that is as good as it can and will get. Agree, unless the signals are actually the same, null to minus infinity is impossible, but for the purpose of a listening test, they "null to zero" as much as we have ever experienced-well sufficient for this

[@SS_Psyops]

The Neve has the low mid thing down but the Vintech has more presence in the upper mids. There's variance between the Neve's tho so hard to know if he took a battery of read outs to make the Vintech and it's just different overall than the 1 1073 used for this recording or if it is just "off" as some have alluded to. Regardless for a piano I would prefer the upper clarity because of how I fit them in my compositions.

[@soundpurestudios]

@VintecFreak They were reversed for verifying the audio indeed phase-cancelled to ensure we were at the same volume within .1dB or so. The purpose was to ensure that volume differences did not leave a lasting impression confusing the listening, and the phases weren't reset- funny thing is that despite the phase difference, people are having trouble discerning any differences! After a year and 10,000 views you are the only 1. Thanks for pointing this out. Guess they are even closer in sound!

[@soundpurestudios]

@leparditas This is the slat wall system that is layed on top of the original concrete/brick 13" shell. They really serve as acoustics only, not as sound-proofing per se.

[@soundpurestudios]

@LODATO1 Sorry, didn't quite catch what you are responding about...?

[@soundpurestudios]

I imagine the differences you were hearing might be due to the slightly higher noise floor on the vintage units, which can make it sound like a shimmer, but really it is a subtle additional amount of hiss. This test has been done all over the world in world class studios with top engineers, and no one can definitely articulate that the differences are larger than the differences between one Neve to another. Would you like the high res audio versions? With you tube audio compression, not idea.

[@soundpurestudios]

@tricky717 Absolutely. Honsetly, this is what we do... that being said we will want to narrow down your applications, and primary purpose (as well as the importance of any secondary recording you plan to do with the M149 through this signal path). We own and frequently use our matched pari of Neumann M149's in our studios here with a HUGE variety of mic pres, and will definitely be able to steer you in the right direction once we know more about the kind of work you are doing-will shoot a PM

[@EASOUNDS]

hello!!!! Which AD-Converters You was using by this recording????

[@soundpurestudios]

@ghaibboy It's our pleasure... also, you should know, if you don't have a good pro audio dealer in your area, we can ship most of the equipment that we sell internationally (with manufacturer permission), and would be glad to help in any way that we can.

[@soundpurestudios]

Glad you were able to check it out in that environment!! When you consider the price difference between "new" and "40+ years old" the tonal difference on the transients really isn't worth the extra money [unless your accountant tells you that you need to spend a truckload of cash because you just won a Grammy]

[@nicholasparis5281]

I'm listening on a galaxy phone right now, and although their tones seem very close in color.. I simply heard a "life" that the original had.. how did I decide that? It simply seemed to move me more, and I swore I heard a more robust representation of tones/overtones (someone mentioned that seeing a piano vs a console might trigger a pseudo effect in your mind lol.. that could be true!?) So I've definitely got to check it out next time I'm in my studio in blind test fashion! & To those who say there's a difference, then I'd recommend checking out the scheps 73 instead of the vintec (if they're looking for another alternative at a much lower price) Cool video!

[@OpusMonk]

Not sure if I heard this correct the first time. I Used an Akg 271 for cans so I can listen in a personable way. I know that these cans are pretty good with LF response. One thing I could say between the two units is that the x73 held Lower frequencies below 400hz a little bit tighter. Seemed like the Neve 1073 was trying to break up in the same area's. Just my two cents.

[@bodhimian]

Does anyone have an opinion on Golden Age Pre-73?

[@danjoseph.]

Listening to the octaves in my Grados at 4.26 and 5.40, there was a pleasing low resonance in the Neve, and greater dynamic dimension, the vintech tonally was 95% identical! Yet sounded slightly covered, lacking the same life, esp in the high mids. Neve 1073LB and LBEQ are £1700 (Double) but most likely worth-it.

[@AdonisAiolos]

+Dan Joseph If you could pick out the Neve BLIND then I would be very impressed.

[@MrMiskut]

+AdonisAiolos tons of people can. ESPECIALLY if you are in the same room. I traded my Vintechs for BAE pres a long time ago and neve-r went back lol. the vintechs wee great but not equal in any way shape or form.

[@danjosephmusic]

The more you crank the magic red knob on a Neve, the darker, aggressive, compressed but not squashed the sound becomes, I wonder how the knob responds on the Vintech, but have no need atm.

[@soundpurestudios]

@headbagger63 They sound different than the 1073, and are generally considered cleaner (less colored), although because the 1081 in particular has a more powerful EQ section, it is sometimes used across a mix, less as much recording/tracking

[@soundpurestudios]

@dresdenandjohnston Actually, the other notable point is that in our tests that we conducted a couple years back, the Vintech actually sounded most like the original vintage unit than did the Neve reissue... we were shocked. If differences were discernible, they were most noticeable in the reissue. However, between the Vintechs and the Neve originals that we shot out (on a lot more applications that we demo'd here), the Vintechs seems as close to any one Neve as the old pre's were to eachother

[@soundpurestudios]

@Embowafa2004 Thanks for the great post here. Unfortunately we are in NC, but if you are in the area, you are more than welcome to participate in any of the many shootouts that we are doing on all sorts of instruments. We can only afford to release a small handful of the shootouts that we actually conduct, but we are constantly testing and comparing... constantly! If you need any opinions, advice, etc. please don't hesitate to give us a ring.

[@Metalshad0]

@soundpurestudios Thank you for your reply! That's very interesting! Would you believe oder even know it is true, a great part of the Neve 1073 sound comes from the Carnhill (or other older) transformers used in them? Or would you say there are other components which would do this? A Review-Video of a Pre-73 with original Neve 1073 transformers would be very interesting...anyway...

[@soundpurestudios]

@VintecFreak The purpose is to listen to the file, purportedly still phase inversed, in-phase, so that any phase differences or anomalies that you are hearing are eliminated from your ability to listen to the two files in-phase with one another. All this being said, the real test is owning the X73i's side-by-side vintage 1073's and using them interchangeably on lots of applications, and finding yourself blindly wondering which is which, as we have done, and many other engineers have as well.

[@paynebabes123]

Do they use tantalum caps in the Vintech?

[@giugnete]

The Vintech X73I sounded really good but the magic is in the Neve 1073. It had a larger than life sound as well as a richness the Vintech fell short of. Maybe in 20 years my Vintech X73, (3) X73I and 273 will sound more like the original. Dallas has made a fine product but I can hear the difference in the shootout like night and day. Even my pair of BAE 1073 doesn't sound the same as the original.

[@caminglis53]

How much closer does the bae sound to the Neve compared? I’ve heard bae might be using the same L01166 Neve output transformer...

[@giugnete]

@@caminglis53 I own two BAE 1073 with eq and they sound closer to the Neve but the age of the Neve changes over time and most units don't sound the same. Vintech is a high quality clone.

[@caminglis53]

@@giugnete yes true. I have the stereo 1073 Neve (no EQ) I’ve also owned the Vintech at the same time, I thought they sounded some what similar but really not the same at all. I would use it for the EQ and other features. The main thing that’s really different between Vintech and Neve 1073s is they feel way different! To my brother and I we would always call the Vintech a tube sound because of the different feeling it would involve 👍 The Neve 1073 always sounds like a normal recording, and that fact is amazing really ))

[@giugnete]

@@caminglis53 Most of the time I wouldn't use the EQ just engage it for a bit more color to the sound. In the age of digital recording the extra coloration and harmonics I can get always helps in my recordings.

[@soundpurestudios]

@Kazerecords That's interesting... the reality is that if we had a lineup of 6 old NEve 1073's and stuck this one in the middle, in a blind test, you can't tell which one is the Vintech. I've done that test too! They are so close, that really, they are as close to one 1073 as an old 1073 is to another... in the end, we completely agree. Both sound incredible. Our argument of course is that one costs a fortune, the other affordable and comes with a warranty and a maintenance free promise!

[@questionableidentity1]

Which pre did you prefer after hearing the high quality files?

[@christopherdunn317]

4:26 NEVE 5:40 VINTECH 4:40 NEVE 5:55 VINTECH Have to admit the vintech had much more cleaner upper mid tone compared to the neve although the neve kicked ass its clarity was not there as good.

[@dafxtone]

Correct.

[@summerfazed]

Listen to how clear and musical the sustain is singing on the first Neve 1073 recording. And I own two vintech x73i so I wish but the Neve sounds like a different decade for sure.

[@soundpurestudios]

@desol333 Do you mean that there are differences when you look at the transformers? OR when you HEAR the comparisons? Vintech is not the only one that has successfully cloned the original 1073 transformer- there are others that have utilized audibly identical transformer replicas. But there's a lot more to making the units the same- including the switch, circuit design, and power supply. The only difference we have been identified in countless tests on many apps is that the orig has more noise

[@soundpurestudios]

@mrmichaellpenman Right, agreed. That's why Vintech replicated it in a more logical layout that made them easier to reproduce. The signal path of those old circuits was copied- that's why the Vintech is such an authentic recreation. One thing is for sure Mr. Neve was a genius that was way ahead of his time! The good news is that now, compliments of Vintech, you don't have to be a museum to own a piece of that historical sound- thanks for the comment!

[@soundpurestudios]

@fiddlefolk The differences are indeed subtle- quite honestly, vintage 1073's vary from one to another, particularly those that have had work done by different techs over the years. Agree, that given the tonal proximity, the x73i is tough to argue with- we actually have another shootout coming (acoustic guitar) with the new Vintech 573 500-series module against a vintage Neve 1073. P12/x73i is a killer combo... please let us know if/how we can help and when you are ready for those x73's!

[@jrusso7660]

Agreed. Huge difference.

[@soundpurestudios]

@Embowafa2004 Thanks for the comment. We agree with what you are saying. Vintage, New, whatever, the sound is the ultimately importance. The worst part from our perspective is that when we actually A/B compare gear here, we do it blindly, and that's probably the way it should be presented on youtube. If you tell people what they are listening to, many people, even great engineers become biased by this fact.

[@soundpurestudios]

@desol333 Thanks for the comments by the way, this is why we wanted to put this out there! IF you think that our videos could be better or of more use, we are always ears. We are putting extreme efforts into making these the best that they can be, and your comments are always welcome

[@KwazyTwang]

Yeah thanks a lot!

[@dylanknowlesmusic]

I prefer the vintage 1073 a little bit more than the vintech. I'm very skeptical that the vintech an the vintage neve completely phased out. There's no way that it can be possible. That being said, they are extremely close, and this video is extremely helpful. Thanks!

[@soundpurestudios]

See comments @ Beast 1333. Purpose of test was sound, and they nulled to the point where the two sat within the noise floor and did not register on the console meters... for the purpose of a listening test, it doesn't get any closer than that. We do appreciate the comment, we just don't want the focus to become something that it is not on this particular video. From a scientific standpoint, you are exactly right. The only nulling to true -infinity can occur with the same signal.

[@aaronreeves2612]

The Vintech sounds a little clearer to me - this may be that it is emphasizing the hi-end whereas the Neve 1073 may be more natural?

[@soundpurestudios]

@jujufactory We didn't forget- actually we tested it that way too. On a LOT of different sources, loud, quiet, fast, slow- the results are the same. We couldn't do a video on every single iteration, sorry. The range of the piano makes it a great test for preamps in general, not just Neve-clones. There are pres that claim to be Neve-style, that you are right, don't handle being pushed harder, but they don't sound identical on quiet passages either. This one handles all of it, no joke.

[@beakf1]

I kept thinking the neve sounded better but i closed my eyes and kept repeating and i think they sound very similar and my mind was doing some tricks.

[@MrMiskut]

+beakf1 U are def right. try downloading the hi res files

[@lollofave]

What do you think about Pre-73? I bought one and I have to say that for the price, it's really amazing!