This must be the longest wait before I can fully complete a hifi review :( . And for this, I need to apologize to this pre amp designer Lau Wai Pan for the delay. Expressing ideas and experiences to words has been a bit of a struggle. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this local masterpiece which has injected a certain level of musicality to my SPL Audio pre and power amp.
The Specification and Built
The Jumpan pre amp is equipped with:
- 1 x XLR in
- 1 x XLR out
- 2 x RAC in
- 1 x RCA out
Hence, you have a choice to use either one depending on what is available on you power amp.
On the front fascia, it is quite basic and straight forward. A selector switch between RCA and XLR input and a volume/attenuator knob with a volume level indicator.
Lo and behold - it also comes with a pal size remote control which works really well.
I tried a few connection variation but in the end, I feel that using all XLR connections sounds best.
The unit is sturdily built and slim in size (24 x 34 x 6 cm - D x W x H). Easily placed o any standard size hifi rack. As it was built sturdily, using heavier interconnects should not pose any problems for the unit to stay grounded to the rack. I particularly dislike too light of a unit that will not allow heavier interconnects or cabling to be used without the unit being unstable.
The Set Up
1. Power amp - SPL Audio Performance S800
2. McIntosh MCD350 SACD player
3. Sony HAP Z1ES Hi Res streamer
4. Borressen X3 speakers
The Listening Session
Playing Zee Avi's The Book of Morris Johnson, the Jumpan added a wider presentation to what I use to hear from my previous SPL pre and power set up. While the bass remains authentic to SPL, this pre amp definitely added some life to the set up as the SPL Pre and power sounded clinical and can be monotonous at times.
Zee Avi vocal came out strong and dominant sounding compared to the overall music presentation. To me this is one unique attribute of this Jumpan pre amp, it amplifies the vocal of the song. It really did justice to Zee's vocal.
Playing a piece from the legendary Kombo RTM truly shows the musicality of the pre amp. Given a live recording like this, I was expecting to sound thin and a bit one the bright side. Not with the Jumpan. It provides a lively, airy and at the same time, a meaty musicality. It gives out a very engaging experience, bringing back memories of tunes from the past.
The wind instrument sounded super clear with no ear--pinching experience. Sweet and luscious. The percussion was hard hitting and authentic to the sound of 60s/70s. Compared to me SPL pre amp, this Jumpan pre amp injected more liveliness to the overall musicality.
A well thought design!
It a solidly built with transparency as its unique character. The SPL Audio power amp might not be the best match for the Jumpan as I was informed that it works better with power amp which has 50K to 100K impedance. Nevertheless, I could still experience great difference compared to my SPL Audio Director Mk2 pre amp.
The overall performance of this passive preamp leans towards clarity and lively musicality. It somehow is able to inject some lusciousness to a clinical SPL Audio pre and power combo. If one is looking for a straightforward, minimalize pre amp, give this Jumpan a go. For further enquiries, please contact Lau Wai Pan on Facebook.
