It does precisely what a good preamplifier should do; take the sound of a source and give it the right volume level.
Vinius Audio’s TVC-05 is one of the best passive preamps around. With no active gain stages, its simplicity is its strength. The TVC-05 comes in balanced or single-ended versions, with a motorised magnetic inductioncontrolled volume control and a transformer wired to Vinius’ patented design. The basic RCA version has no electronic components, while the RCA+Remote and XLR versions come with a remote volume control driven by an Apple handset. There is also a more minimalist version called the TVC-05 Special Edition.
Passive preamps were traditionally plagued by high-frequency roll-off. However, transformercoupled and passive magnetic preamps like the TVC-05 have addressed these issues, providing transparency without sacrificing treble performance. And the result is a design with legendary clarity and transparency, allowing the true sound of the source to shine through without any added coloration. The precision and sonic performance of the TVC-05 are exceptional, providing detail, soundstaging, vocal articulation, dynamic range, microdynamics, bass depth, and resolution.
In our test, Alan Sircom said, “When you hear how much the gain stages of even a good preamp ruin the relationship between source and amplifier, you can’t help but be impressed by the TVC-05.” Adding, “It does precisely what a good preamplifier should do; take the sound of a source and give it the right volume level with nothing getting in the way of that goal.” He concluded, saying “If you see that as ‘minimalism done right’ instead of a ‘hair-shirted gainremover’, the Vinius Audio TVC-05 is not only for you, but it might just be the best of the breed.”
Reviewed in Issue 224.
