Thread: No523 vs No52?
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  #26  
Old 12-24-2018, 07:29 PM
gadawg gadawg is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Prosper TX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioIdiot View Post
thanks for the reply Gadawg.
I do believe you, but I am quite puzzled by the changes in design from the 32 to the 52.
As a former audio engineer I designed many audio products, some really expensive ones. This all stopped in 2005, but my love for audio never disappeared and since 2 years I am fully addicted to great sound and the stuff that comes along with it.

In 2004 I compared the No32 with my latest design, a two box pre-amp for an established high-end audio company (also listed in the manufacturers forum here at AA). I believe it retailed for around $20k. The cost was also substantial.
We compared it to the No32 and although the differences were not day and night, the 32 just was a better amp.
As my free-lance design work stopped due to more work with my day-time job I never got to the bottom of it, but the no 32 always kept in the back of my mind as "the" pre-amp.
When the 52 came out I was less impressed with some of the design choices.

As I am new here I am not yet allowed to post a new thread, but when that happens I will do so with a (technical) analysis of what I think the differences are. If the AA community agrees the 52 is better than this could become interesting reading and again proof that great sound can not always be explained by technical choices.

Cheers.
Some of the technical choices were puzzling to me as well like the use of op amps rather than discrete outputs but like the Esoteric CD players I think the magic is in the implementation of the parts just as much as it is the parts chosen. Many companies use the AK chips but just can’t match what Esoteric is able to do with them. ML went all discrete in the their new preamps but they just can’t quite do what the 52 does. Now ... I’m thinking they will upgrade the 52 soon and maybe take the advanced design of the 52 and go discrete. Might be even better. Just a note I think if you subscribe you can post immediately. Glad to meet you and looking forward to hearing more about your thoughts technically.

George
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