Legacy Audio StreamLine Preamplifier.

Manufacturer: Legacy Audio, Sangamon Ave., Springfield, IL 62702; 800/283-4644; www.legacy-audio.com

Price: $1,595

Source: Manufacturer loan

Reviewer: Karl W. Nehring

The StreamLine preamplifier is the successor to the High Current preamplifier in the Legacy Audio line. The new unit is conceptually the same as the previous unit, but incorporates refinements in its design and construction. What we have here is a line-level preamplifier with excellent remote capabilities and a simple elegance to its design.

The StreamLine measures 17"W x 10.5"D x 2.5"H and weighs in at about 8 lbs. Toward the left side of the front panel are four buttons that activate the four inputs. From left to right they are marked "Balanced," "CD," DVD," and "Video." The center of the front panel is devoted to an illuminated display that features a number for each channel, indicating the volume level for each channel. In the standard setting, the numbers indicate the amount of attenuation in dB, so that a smaller number indicates a higher volume, but the .setting can be reversed so that a higher number indicates a higher volume. The display also features an LED that indicates that the balance control is engaged, in which case the numbers will vary between channels as the balance knob is turned. To the right of this display are three more pushbuttons, marked "Mono," "Monitor," and "Processor." To the right of these three buttons is a large rotary knob that functions as the volume/balance control. This control has an excellent feel to it, and is a real pleasure to use.

The rear panel of the unit features (from left to right) a receptacle for the supplied IEC power cord; the on/off switch; balanced output jacks; unbalanced output jacks; jack sets for tape monitoring and external processor; three jack sets for line-level unbalanced inputs; and balanced input jacks. All this hardware appears to be of excellent quality.

But the real selling point of the StreamLine is its remote capability. The remote control unit itself is a slick little unit. Designer Bill Dudleston wanted the newest version of his remote-control preamp to have a remote control that could easily be tucked into a shirt pocket, and what he ended up with is an easy-to-use control that measures in at about 5"H x 1.5"W x 0.5"D. There are six controls on the remote: a rocker pad for volume (which controls balance if the balance control is activated), a rocker pad for switching among inputs, a button to activate the balance control, a button to activate the tape monitor, a button to activate the processor loop, and a mute button.

Although I have never been fond of remote controls, I do find myself using this one from time to time, and believe me, that is quite an eloquent testimony of its appeal. I have found it especially useful for doing comparisons of recordings, as I can sit in my listening chair and switch back and forth between CD players, adjusting volume and balance on the fly. When the blasted telephone burbles (I will not dignify that pathetic electronic sound by calling it a "ring"), I can hit the mute button. Very handy!

After using the StreamLine for several months, I have found that it works without flaw, and is a joy to have in the system. The digital volume control display, which seemed strange at first, is now second nature to me, and it is hard to go back to a unit without a display. Volume control in the StreamLine is accomplished through the use of a digitally controlled Crystal Semiconductor CS3310 potentiometer. The CS3310 is now in common use among high end audio preamps costing much more than what the StreamLine sells for. This device uses an internal precision resistor network with "zero-crossing sensing" that results in precise tracking between channels. The "zero-crossing sensing" switches the networks only when input signals are passing through the 0-volt portion of the signal. This feature eliminates the "zipper" noise that was common in switched network volume controls on older high-end designs.

The StreamLine is a low-noise unit. Even when using it with the relatively efficient Legacy Focus speakers, I could find no noise in the system attributable to the preamp, which seemed slightly quieter than the AVA Fet-Valve EC preamp that I also had on hand. Switching was also quiet, and as I mentioned above, everything on this unit just seems to work reliably, smoothly, and without ever calling attention to itself. Sonically, the StreamLine was flawless, adding no colorations that I could detect. I used it with an AVA Fet-Valve power amplifier to drive the Focus speakers and then the Legacy Empire speakers with the Legacy Point One subwoofer.

Installing the latter speaker setup triggered my main quibble with the StreamLine: it has only one set of unbalanced output jacks. I was able to get around this problem by picking up a pair of RCA male-to-female Y-connectors at Radio Shack so that I could send one pair of cables to the power amp and the other pair to the subwoofer, but it would have been nice to have two sets of outputs on the preamp itself. The Legacy integrated amp, by the way, has a preamp section that sports a subwoofer output with its own volume control, so perhaps a future version of the StreamLine will add this capability. It would be useful.

Other than that minor quibble, I have no complaints with this unit. At $1,595 it is hardly inexpensive, but at this level of build quality and functionality, it offers good value, and it supersedes the High Current preamplifier in our $ensible Choice listing of recommended components. - KWN