Tom
Evans Audio Design - Testberichte
2023:
Stereoplay 2/2023 - The Groove 20th Anniversary Edition [Download,
pdf, 1,4 MB]
2020: Hörbericht MasterGroove SR
von unserem Kunden Martin Faßnacht [Download,
pdf, 432 kb]
2019: Image
HiFi 4/2019 - MasterGroove Mk II [Download,
pdf, 928 kb]
2019: LP
3/2019 - MicroGroove Mk II [Download,
pdf, 4,0 MB]
2018:
Image HiFi 4/2018 -
Groove Plus SRX Mk II [Download,
pdf, 570 kb]
2018:
LP Magazin 3/2018 - Groove Anniversary Mk II [Download,
pdf, 542 kb]
2017:
Image HiFi 2/2017 - Groove Anniversary Mk II [Download,
pdf, 822 kb]
2016: The Ear Online-Test,
Best Buy - MicroGroovePlus X Mk II ...zum
Bericht im Internet
2015: The Ear Online-Test, Best Buy - Groove
Anniversary Mk II ...zum
Bericht im Internet
2015: Hörerlebnisforum Test - Groove
Anniversary Mk II [Download,
pdf, 150 kb]
2012: Hifi Wigwam Test -
MasterGroove
[Bericht
im Internet]
2012: Hörerlebnisforum Test - MasterGroove
[Download,
pdf, 1,3 MB]
2010: Stereoplay Test und Highlight -
Groove Anniversary [Download,
pdf, 5,4 MB]
2009: Stereoplay Test und Highlight -
MicroGroovePlus [Download,
pdf, 915 kb]
Pressestimmen zu den
Produkten von Tom Evans Audio Design
The Groove & The GroovePlus -
Microgroove & MicrogroovePlus+
- The Vibe -
The Linear A
The
Groove
LP Magazin 3/2018,
Best of 2018
Neues vom Querdenker: 20 Jahre hat der britische Ingenieur Tom Evans in
die Perfektionierung seiner Phonoverstärkertechnik investiert – und das
hört man. Die optisch unspektakulären Geräte stecken in
charakteristischen schwarzen Acrylgehäusen, audiophile
Boutique-Bauteile sucht man vergebens. Der Star ist das Konzept, eine
sehr aufwendige Spannungsversorgung und ein feines Händchen für
technische Details loten die Grenzen des Machbaren aus. Em Ende gibt’s
ein superfeines, stets schlüssiges und homogenes Klangbild, dass jedem
MC sein volles Potenzial entlockt.
Hifi & Records 2/2005, Helmut Rohrwild
Die dynamische Potenz des Shiraz kam schon fast gewalttätig rüber, bleibt
dabei aber völlig kontrolliert, ohne jedoch abgewürgt zu werden. Die
Klangbilder dieser Kombination waren fein ausgewogen und mit üppigen
Farben ausgestattet – große Klasse.
Tom Evans's The Groove braucht also keine Konkurrenz zu scheuen (umgekehrt
schon). Ein Phonoverstärker der echten Topklasse, der seinen hohen Preis
durch eine extrem präzise und dadurch wunderschöne Wiedergabe vergessen
lässt.
www.10audio.com, September-November 2003
If life is in the details, then the Groove certainly brings more life to
the party than any other solid-state phono preamp I can remember. The
Microgroove+ gets everything right, but the Groove simply does a better
job of doing the disappearing act and letting the music through. If the
Groove was just better in the midrange, for example, you could probably
just use instead a cartridge (or cables, or preamp, or amplifier, or
speakers) that provided that particular characteristic. But it is not that
simple.
When you listen to a new component, those first 15 seconds are often more
valuable in judging its sound than the hours that follow. While you may
not clearly perceive every nuance of the change in performance, what you
immediately notice are the gross differences between the new component and
the one it just replaced. When I switched to the Groove, nothing jumped
out and said "check out that great bass", or "the soundstage just got
deeper". There was no particular area that focused my attention on it as a
large change. Further listening revealed that there are small improvements
in every area. But that initial impression, one that stayed for many
hours, was one of a complete picture that had the ability to bring the
musicians into the listening room with clarity, delicacy, and most
importantly, believability.
The Absolute Sound Magazine June/July 2002, Harry Pearson
After two years with the Groove as a key component in his system:
„While we are at is, I cannot say it often enough: Tom Evans The Groove
phono stage is, dollar for dollar, the best buy in separate phono stages,
anywhere , anyplace. You’d never know it was solid-state just from the
listening. And that is the first time I can say that about a
transistorized phono stage. I cannot imagine it easily being bettered.
The Absolute Sound Magazine Oct./Nov. 2001, Roy Gregory
The Groove is definitely a breakthrough in vinyl replay.
The Groove breaks just about every presentational rule for hi-fi gear that
expects to be taken seriously in the High-End marketplace. However, its
lightweight construction and diminutive dimensions are the external
dressing on a coherent and carefully considered design path. The Groove is
a hot-rod. There’s not one ounce of unnecessary weight, and every part is
there for a reason. This product is about performance, first last, and in
between. It’s light so that it stores less mechanical energy. The box is
made of plastic because it sounds better, which isn’t exactly news, but
it’s taking the rest of the world a while to catch on.
Ultimately, it’s not its accuracy, transparency, or resolution or dynamics
that make the Groove superior to the other phono stages I’ve used. It’s
the way it uses those attributes in combination. It makes more sense of
the signal, making it more engaging and communicative. It’s at once more
natural and more intelligible. Thos is an instance in which accuracy to
the fact of the sound doesn’t exclude accuracy to the spirit and life of
the performance. I used to think I knew what vinyl sounded like. Now I
recognize that its “shortcomings” had more to do with the phono stages I
was using. The Groove lets me hear more of the music, and more of exactly
who is doing what. In short, it makes more sense of and delivers more of
the performance.
The Groove isn’t just a new phono stage, it’s a whole new record
collection. While DVD-A and SACD do battle, good ol` vinyl just upped the
ante.
The Absolute Sound Magazine Golden Ear Award Dec. 2000/Jan. 2001, Issue
127, Scot Markwell
So how does it sound ? The Groove goes strait to the heart and soul of the
music, and shows that the designer is a true vinyl lover.
The Groove was able with an accurate neutral balance, to capture more of
the dynamic impact, punch, air and transparency of the best LP’s than
almost any other phono section I’ve heard, along with superbly defined and
visceral bass response (on the best discs, you can be fooled into thinking
you are listening to top digital bass).
... there is just no competition.
Hifi Plus Magazine, Sept. 1999, Roy Gregory
The Groove will re-write what you think is possible from vinyl. The phono
stage happens so early in the process that it forms a gate that defines
the performance of the entire system. What I’d assumed were the much
trumpted shortcomings of vinyl were actually limitations in the phono
circuits we’ve all been using. The Groove doesn’t just open the gate, it
takes it off its hinges, flattens the posts, tramples the walls and sets
free the livestock. Dynamic range ? You’d better believe it. Musical
coherence and inner detail ? In spades. Natural harmonic envelope ? If
it’s on the recording. In fact, limitations in the recording start to
outweigh the limitations in the system; each and every track becomes a
distinct and separate occasion. So choking is the influence of the average
phono stage that I was shocked to discover The Groove redefined the
performance potential of not just the whole system, but my record
collection as well.
The
GroovePlus
Hifi+, Issue 27 – Nov/Dec 2003, Roy Gregory
But the real significance isn’t in the blackness of the background itself,
but in the contrast it provides for instrumental details and dynamics. The
lack of noise and grain allows the subtlest of details to emerge, the
individual colour and harmonics of an instrument, the precise timing and
leading-edge of a note or breath. It is the fleshing out of the music with
these micro-dynamic detail, hung on the precise temporal structure already
provided by the standard Groove’s superb musical architecture that
breathes life to every note, every instrument, every performance that
passes through the Groove Plus.
It matters not how many records you play, the results remain the same.
From the first note you hear to the last, each will be its own little
revelation. The bowing of violin or cello, the strike of stick on drum,
the catch in a voice or finger tips against strings: all are captured and
caressed rather than imprisoned. The Connoisseur is without doubt the
finest phono-stage I’ve heard. The Groove narrows the gap considerably,
especially if (and like the Connoisseur) you use it with its matching
line-stage. The musical journey that started with the Iso has come full
circle. The Pulse finishes what the Groove began.
[Seitenanfang]
Microgroove
LP Magazine 3/2005 Germany, Holger Barske
Im Hörraum reißt er's raus, der Tom Evans – gar keine Frage: Was der Herr
hier aus drei Achtbeinern pro Seite zaubert, das darf als außergewöhnlich
gelten. Der MicroGroove erzeugt eine fantastische Synthese aus Kraft und
Geschmeidigkeit, er liefert Druck bis in die untersten Regionen, aber ohne
auch nur im Entferntesten die Differenzierung zu vernachlässigen. In den
mittleren Lagen das Gleiche: Schwung, Grazie und Ausdruck, aber immer
perfekt aufgeräumt und stabil. Wir wissen zwar nicht warum – aber das
unscheinbare Gerätchen ist große Klasse.
Microgroove Plus
Stereo, Dezember 2005
Bericht von Matthias Böde: ... Download, pdf, 154 kb
www.10audio.com, September-November 2003
The bass is excellent - tight but resonant. Bass strings vibrate with
considerable realism and drums have great punch and weight. The midrange
is rich but very well focused. Male vocals have a tangible, harmonic depth
that is usually absent. The entire treble range has excellent resolution
and is absolutely grain-free and very pure and open. Cymbals never sound
like white noise, but ring true. The overall balance from deep bass to
high treble is exceptional and "of a piece". Soundstage focus is spot-on.
I will take a chance here and say that soundstage depth is just a gnat's
wing shy of the better tubed units, although the Microgroove+ more than
compensates for this with it's much lower noise floor. But honestly, this
is reaching for something to criticize.
The Microgroove+ is consistently enjoyable and entertaining. I found
myself turning up the volume and just being immersed in the music, and I
always wanted to listen for longer than I could at the time. In every
subjective parameter, this is an excellent product. One thought came to me
again and again as I listened to this phono stage. If for some reason I
had to get off the audio train and live with the gear on-hand right now,
it would not be a problem. A good value at $1900? Absolutely, yes!
www.theanalogdept.com, February 2003
This phono stage does some truly satisfying justice to the Classic Records
180gram re-issue of the Led Zeppelin II LP. Faint nuance and details are
brought into a high resolution focus, all the while lending deep reserves
of energy and drive to the dynamic transitional passages the album is
chock full of. Speaking of transitional passages, most Led Zep fans will
mention "Ramble On" as one exceptional track that show-cases the group's
dynamic capabilities in the art of transition. It's the contrast between
the cozy acoustic guitar and gentle vocal getting aroused into a full-on
screaming hard rock number carried up on the back of Bonham's energetic
percussion licks. The harmonica in "Bring It On Home" is shockingly real
and at times in the room breathing air, blowing chords and flying around
the width boundaries of the soundstage. Stereo effects like these are done
to an even greater effect in "Whole Lotta' Love" with it's stunning
percussion solo, numerous ringing cymbals, some which are impossibly soft
yet focussed, playing hide and seek in the three dimensions of the
soundstage. Finally, the last energetic transition happens in "Bring it on
Home". With a pair of rim shots, Bonham launches another high volume, full
bore wailing screaming hard rock finale. I defy any Led Zeppelin fan to
hear this album through the Tom Evans phono stage and keep their feet
still. I sure can't. Tom Evans rocks...!
The Tom Evans Micro-Groove-Plus displays it's music against a super silent
background. It also displays ultra quick attack transients. Transients are
the leading edge of a note. Phono stages capable of handling transients
faster will create the sense of space and air around instruments. Then
there are the goose bumps. One of my favorite goose bump tests is the
opening track on Moody Blues "In Search of the Lost Chord". The
Micro-Groove-Plus does manage to lift the hairs on the back of my neck
when a single synthetic tone starting out as a bass note, climbs in pitch
up from the depths to the midrange then into the upper frequency ranges
and the limits of human hearing, and finally, it disappears beyond. Smooth
and seamless. This can be anticipated. You wait for it, look for it, and
yet the goose bumps happen every time. This test also works with another
phono stage I have, but it worked very nicely with the Tom Evans…
The Tom Evans displays music truthfully with tight textured bass, pristine
transparent midrange and high frequencies. No roll-off. No grain. It's not
overly analytical. It has a very quiet background. It is highly detailed
and it brings music alive with it's ultra-fast transient response. It is
also revealing and will tell you truthfully what is on your records. What
more can anybody ask...? Hey it rocks with the best of them and then turns
around and plays blissful, beautiful classical music.
HiFi Choice Magazine, Best Buy 2000
Never has the system dug so much detail from the grooves of my much valued
record collection it does with the Lithos equipped Microgroove Plus.
Microgrove &
MicrogroovePlus
Hifi+, November 2000, Issue 8, The Real Deal, Roy Gregory
.....Comparisons between the standard 'Micro-Groove' and the 'Plus'
version are little short of astonishing, considering that the signal
circuitry is identical. The Iso established itself as the benchmark for
acceptable phono performance, a position that was never seriously
challenged. The `MicroGroove' comfortably inherits that mantle, but the
`Plus' is something else entirely. Compare the two and you'll I see what I
mean; get used to the `Plus' and you'll wonder how you ever found the
cheaper models acceptable. So what does the Lithos regulator bring to the
party, apart from a blue LED rather than the standard green one? In a
word, clarity, but clarity in every sense. There's an obvious gain in
transparency and solidity of the images, and the whole sound stage becomes
far more defined and stable. But these are merely the most obvious
symptoms. That improved definition applies to the leading edge of notes,
their harmonic envelope and decay. In other words, the `Plus' has far
greater low-level accuracy, and here's the interesting bit; unlike most
"accurate" hi-fi which generally sounds as dull as dish-water, the Lithos-ed
`MicroGroove' sound altogether more musical and involving. The dramatic
increase in low-level resolution produces music that is full of immediacy,
presence and sophistication.
Now the immediacy and presence are easy enough to understand, given the
increased transparency and harmonic definition, but what's this
sophistication? The increased definition of individual notes has clear
temporal as well as spatial implications. Because we can now tell so much
more clearly where individual notes start and how long they are sustained,
the relationship between notes, and precisely where and how the musicians
place them becomes much more apparent. This provides a direct insight into
the chemistry of the performance, the interplay of the musicians, bringing
the whole thing to life. Forget rhythmic integrity as an issue, here's the
entire musical skeleton, clear to see. (For more on-this see the reviews
of the Final Music amplifiers in Issue 2, and `The Groove' in Issue 4.)
The `MicroGroove Plus' might not match the astonishing, almost master-tape
solidity, presence and authority of its more expensive brother, but it
gets you a fair way along the same road. In order to understand why that
should be, it's necessary to appreciate exactly what the Lithos regulation
achieves.
Built from fifty discrete components onto a small pcb, the Lithos circuit
is around a thousand times quieter and fifty times faster than the high
quality Linear Technology 317AT/337AT ICs used in the standard
`Micro-Groove', and those are amongst the best conventional regulators
available. The result of this is that not only does the circuit running
from the Lithos regulator get power devoid of the overlaid ripples and
distortion that the vast majority of signal circuits have to tolerate, but
the circuit can react faster and to smaller signals, retaining their
contribution and correct position in the overall picture. Its this that
makes the `Micro-Groove Plus' sound so stable and immediate, and makes it
communicate the musical message so directly. It's this which moves you so
much closer to the original performance.
If the `Micro-Groove' establishes a new benchmark, then the `Plus' sets
the standard for others to aspire to. No it doesn't match the astonishing
performance of `The Groove', but then it doesn't cost £1500 either. What
you get at £700 is enough of `The Groove's attributes to seriously
embarrass the (much) more expensive competition. You also get an immediate
improvement in the performance of every record you own. Remember, the
Lithos technology means that the `Plus' provides performance potential
that simply isn't possible from phono-stages using conventional
regulation. This isn't just an upgrade, its a new set of rules. The
standard `Micro Groove' extends the Iso's reputation and is a very
worthwhile evolution. The `Micro Groove Plus' is a far more radical beast.
It brings the revolutionary technology of `The Groove' down to a far more
affordable level, and lets you get there by stages too! Believe me, you
really haven't heard what's on your records.
[Seitenanfang]
The
Vibe
6moons.com Feb. 2006
Sehr
informativer Bericht über die Vibe
Vorstufe mit Pulse Power Supply ...
zum Bericht im Internet
Hifi + Issue 27 – Nov./Dec. 2003, Vibe & Pulse, Chris Thomas
Even without the Pulse the Vibe is good enough to be compared with any sub
15K € pre out there….
But add the Pulse and you are talking of an entirely different level of
performance altogether. Along with even blacker backgrounds the Vibe gets
a shot of adrenalin that energises it even further.
Hifi Plus Magazine, Sept. 2003, Roy Gregory
No remote, no balanced connections, no user configurable inputs and no
fancy display of any kind…
But the really important bit is the Lithos regulation, the same discrete
circuit used to such telling effect in The Groove. This is where the Vibe
discovers its inky black background, the basis of its astonishing
transparency resolution and dynamic range…
The sheer fact that I am discussing The Vibe in the context of products
that sell for around four times its ticket tells you what a bargain it
represents…
Playing Tea for Tillerman, a disc that’s found its way through all the
resident line-stages recently reviewed I was caught quite unprepared.
Where Do The Cildren Play normally gets pigeon holed as a nice, slightly
limp ballad. I was pinned to my seat by the power and feeling in the
performance, the astonishing impact of its musical purpose…
The Groove Vibe combination gives you full value for what’s on the record,
but never over eggs the pudding. It simply provides an outstanding vivid ,
tactile and engaging performance, releasing the artist intent from the
shackles of what have always seemed like indifferent recordings and
pressings.
If the Groove represented a whole new record collection than the
combination simply bypasses the medium and buries you straight in the
message…
But if musical communication and performance is your primary aim then it
performs to a standard that challenges the very best. Use it with the
matching phono stage and a decent record player and you’ll hear something
really quite extraordinary.
Sterophile Website September 2002, Barry Willis
I’ve been using the Vibe in my system for two months, and it’s been a
revelation: effortless extension at both frequency extremes, with an
astounding ability to reveal inner detail and rhythmic nuance, and the
best bass articulation I have ever heard. Adding this component elevated
my system from being merely “very good” to among the best I’ve ever
encountered. I don’t believe it can get much better.
[Seitenanfang]
The
Linear A
6moons.com August/September 2005
Ausführlicher Bericht über Tom Evans und die einzigartige Eintakt Endstufe Linear A ...
zum Bericht im Internet
Hifi Plus Magazine 2005, Issue 38, Roy Gregory
Play something familiar and the first thing that hits you is the sheer
physical substance and rock solid stability of the sound. This level of
bass definition and transparency only normally comes from very large amps
indeed. But here you have the speed and impact, the dynamic jump of a
small amp. It is the solidity of the foundation that is delivering the
quality, and that is a direct result of the amps ability to grip and
control the speakers.
The Linear A is an exiting product and not just in the musical sense.
Select your speakers with proper care (a caveat that applies if you want
to get the best out of almost any worthwhile amplifier) drive it from a
Vibe and ideally a Groove too, and you’ll have access to genuinely
high-end performance at a fraction of past prices. This amplifier
represents another huge step in the process of making high-quality audio
more affordable.
Along with all the traditional strengths of a low-powered amplifier, you
also get the resolution and noise performance of the other Tom Evans
designs, coupled in turn to the stability, transparency and authority that
normally only comes from hugely powerful and hugely expensive
alternatives.
Less fashionable and less pretty than the various alternatives, it is also
half their price, but get it working at its best and it’s one of the
biggest bargains out there in high-end audio land.
[Seitenanfang]
|