Dear Tim thank you very much for the Axiom pre amp you sent me, I am definitely very impressed and believe it to be one of those unusual hi-fi finds that is a good honest piece of equipment. It does what it is meant to do at a great price and without the usually marketing hype. You got the settings just right for my system and I was very surprised by how loud it makes my speakers with only a modest amount of input. It is as close to not having anything in the signal path as I can find and I am delighted. It also helped tremendously with my weak bass problem, I would say I am hearing a more balanced version of the music than I did with my previous pre amp. Please feel free to use this email as a recommendation for this product any way you see fit. Best wishes, Geoff

Got it today! I am slackjawed... amazed! Opened up the soundstage and defines the individual instruments... SUPERB PRODUCT! Thanks!!!

Tim, Axiom arrived today. Plugged it into $6000 worth of Naim NAP 135 monoblocks ( Naim, incidentally advise against using any form of passive preamp ) And it is really stunning. Quiet quiesant background ( no hum or hiss of any form ) Detailed and as far as I can hear ... excellent. I am impressed, well done. cheers dave

Hello Tim, I received the preamp in good condition on Friday and hooked it up that evening. Wow !! What a sound, it was marvelous to hear I could further increase everything one notch !! Definition, space, information, soundstage, transients, zero noise and especially more precision everywhere... How can you beat my "brand X" ??? I am VERY happy ! It seems that the Axiom lets more energy of medium to high frequencies go through. Very well done ! Thanks again for the unexpected satisfaction ;-)) Olivier

Tim, The Axiom is AMAZING!!!...Thanks! Bob

Tim, I received the unit yesterday and just hooked it up. It is a tremendous value! (but I guess that is no news to you!) It sounds even better since my preamp has been out for repairs for 6 weeks. Thanks Ron

Hi Tim, ...The product is fabulous and I will be leaving positive feedback on Audioreview if your product is listed there. I will definitely be spreading the word around here. Congratulations on a simple but great design. The Axiom is truly transparent and I have never heard my system sound so natural. You can quote me on this! I will never go back to active preamps. best regards Steve

Hi Tim, I received the Axiom Passive Preamp today in perfect condition. The Axiom sounds better than I expected. The bass is tight, mids are transparent and highs are clear without becoming abrasive. I guess the word I would use to define the sound using the Axiom would be “PURE”. Best audio purchase I’ve made in a long while. Thanks again, Tom

Dear Tim, Nice go-in on this Axiom passive pre..Well you were right about one thing,,, THE LOW END REGISTER IS FABULOUS.. But the top end is also very open and special indeed...This piece is a great addition to my system..Thank you for your time in engineering it, and offering it to the Audio Community!! Stay on track and keep it simple.Your applied idea's are a breath of fresh air, in this already poluted business. Sincerely Mike

Tim, I got it. It works so well. I can hear what I've been missing. Thanks for the great product. Now I have to figure out what I do with my useless preamp. Won

Tim I wanted to let you know I received the preamp on Tues and have been listening for the last two nights. It does live up to all you said. I purchased it as a stopgap while my "brand X" went in for repairs. I am going to be listening all weekend but I am now seriously thinking of substituting it permanently . Only my turtle-like typing speed prevents a page or so of accolades. I am more than satisfied. Please feel free to use me as a reference. Larry

Tim, I wanted to give you a quick follow up to my recent Axiom purchase. First I sold my tube preamp yesterday. The Axiom sounds that good and I have about $900 dollars in my pocket. There is more bass now than before and this is welcome as I use LS3/5a monitors. Second I hear a little more resolution than before. It is not as smooth as with the tube preamp but it is clearly more representative of what my cd player is putting out. I use a Sony DVD/SACD which is biased towards resolution rather than sweetness.
Second, everyone says that passive are less dynamic. I have not found this to be the case. Furthermore, I do not have to turn the music up louder to appreciate it. Actually, the reverse is true because of the extra bass I have now.
Thanks for the little Axiom. Stephen

I got the Axiom passive pre-amp. My initial reaction is it is super clean. I was running a Theta Miles direct into a Bel Canto Amp; the gain into the amp is just right now. I also lost no clarity by putting the pre-amp in between the player and the amp. I picked up mucho, cleaner, deeper bass and lots more mid-range and tweeter detail... Feel free to use my comments as you see fit.
Thanks for keeping clean and simple, Mark

Tim, I've been listening to my few favourite CDs I brought here for the last couple of hours, and now I'm thinking of taking the "brand X" preamp back to Germany and sell the bugger, and order another Axiom from you when I'm back to NY. Nice to see that upgrading doesn't necessarily mean spending MORE money ... ;) It 'sounds' to me like your interconnects, meaning that it does nothing at all to the signal, as far as that is possible. Which is about as good as it gets for cables or passive preamps, imho. I really have to try some of your speaker cables next time I'm here, I guess...
Best
Thomas
Germany

Hi Tim, The Axiom finally arrived today! Bit of a wait, but I have to say I'm more than a little impressed! I originally bought it to use with my Leak Stereo 20 and you set the axiom up accordingly, but my ST20 has since developed a fault so I tried it out with a pair of Quad II's I also have. The Quad II's are reputed to prefer active preamps so I wasn't expecting great things....but that's exactly what I got - crystal clear, dynamic, stacks of bass, just fantastic. I'll recommend your little preamp to anyone who'll listen.
Thanks again,
Dave

Hi Tim, The preamp was tested and the result was outstanding. The challenge was not an easy task. Stock units were: "brand X" and "brand X" as active preamps and the "brand X" in passive option. The Luminous was the most real of them all no contest. Of course when gutsier bass were needed since my power amps are all 300b's based the active units were better, the dynamics were a bit better on the active units as well but not by a wide margin. The low level data was better with the AXIOM and when I wanted to listen to music , JUST LISTEN TO IT , the best was this little giant. Congratualtions for a great product Tim!
Sincerely . Victor.

Hi Tim,
I know you hear this a lot, but I just have to tell ya that this little black box is really fantastic. The difference was like night and day. This thing makes the music breathe with an incredible sense of depth and clarity!
I mean, WOW!
Just to give you an idea. I had previously grouped up my CD's... splitting them up between those that sound like crap, and those that sound good. I thought lame mastering was to blame for the "bad" ones, and on some discs I'm sure this is the case. But overall, this little box is so musical that it has brought the "bad" CD's out into circulation once more. It has truely made my CD collection whole again.
Thank you so much,
-Michael

Hi Tim,
I received the preamp today. I compared with my 'brand x' this night, and I found your Axiom preamp is better that my 'brand x'. It is really great sound.
Thank you very much !
Very best regards from Hong Kong,
Eric

Hello
Just to let You know: Even in the frostcold North, In Finland, Axiom allows the music run untouched through. Ashtonishing clarity and tonal accuraty! Dead quiet backgrounds and fine dynamics. What else can man ask for?
with regards:
JaakkoE

Hi Tim,
I received the axiom today and hooked it up. It works perfectly, and its damn nice to own an audio equipment that sounds great, doesn't weigh a ton and is inexpensive! :)) I'm way over the moon with this purchase! The wait has been well worth it!
Thanks, Rajiv

Tim,
I received the pre-amp this weekend. It’s truly transparent in my system, it produces no hum at all. I would say your pre-amp sounds great, but the truth be told is that I can’t hear it.
I’m now able to run my amps at full power, and am getting a much cleaner sound.
Thanks for providing such a great product.

Dear Tim,
Got the preamp yesterday, and have just left you feedback. Please do the same when you have a chance.
The preamp has made the greatest improvement in my system of any component I can remember. I thought I had a pretty good hybrid tube pre, but wow! yours just blew it away. Not only is the system now dead quite between pieces of music, but it's as though a veil has been lifted [especially from the bass]: dramatically better imaging and soundstage, and virtually perfect presentation of the music, note for note, top to bottom, wonderful delineation of every instrument and voice. I could go on and on, and will probably enjoy it even more as time goes by: after all, I've only had it only one day!
Thanks again,
Michael C.

Tim,
Received the Axiom yesterday and listened well into the night. It is an outstanding product with very good resolution and dynamics. But the transparency is really impressive, easily the best I have heard in a preamp at any price.
Thanks again.
Tom

Thanks Tim, I just love the passive pre, it’s an absolutely fine piece of gear. I really appreciate it. By the way, your passive pre is just world class. Steve

Tim,
I received the Axiom preamp today and began auditioning the Axiom preamp. All I have to say is WOW!!!! I am listening to my John Hick's piano jazz albums all over again!!! The soundstage opened up dramatically (vs. my old preamp). John Patatucci's bass sounds so organic it is coming straight at me I can feel it in my chest! All with no equalization or enhancement, the signal fed directly through the Axiom's resistor.

Thanks again, Sam

Tim, I received the Axiom, and it arrived in excellent shape. Many thanks!
Congratulations on coming up with such a phenomenal product!
The unit greatly opened up the sound stage, providing excellent delivery on the entire spectrum. It is without a doubt superior to my active pre-amp, with a strikingly transparent and dynamic sound that I had not anticipated.
Tommy L

Tim: I got my preamp. I've been dabling in audio stuff for over 35 years. Very rarely do you plug something in and it changes everything. Your preamp is such a piece. Now it is an odd set up I've put together for my son--the McCormick, the vintage Allison, and an Ipod feed, but it is still quite amazing. The clarity is astounding, the SN is unlike anything I've ever heard, and the purity of the sound is terrific. Thanks so much.

jon

Hi, Tim !
Two years ago I happily purchased one of your Axioms. Very nice, too.
For the last couple of years I've been messing about with all sorts of pre-amps....passives, actives, valves, transistors....you name it. All sorts of "pots". And then I remembered your pre. So I plug it my system and WOW. I'd forgotten just how good it was. Great clarity, tremendous bass (no need for a sub), very wide soundstage, great dynamics. Really shows up how compromised most pre-amps are. All this you know !!

Hi Tim,
I recieved the pre amps this morning and everything is working perfectly and it is an incredible improvement on my $3,900 pre amp. Congratulations on a superb product and I hope to get you some orders from my friends in the future.
All the very best Jim C.

Hi Tim,
Rec'd the axiom. Fantastic, better than I expected. Probably the best buy in audio today.
Gerald

Tim,
I received the Axiom preamp yesterday.
First off, let me thank you for the marvelous service and quick fulfillment of the order.
Secondly, thanks for the tremendous product. My criteria for good audio equipment is transparency and this little jewel delivers it in spades. It's an incredible value Tim. You are to be commended!
Sincerely, Arthur W.

Tim, I finally received the pre and connected it to my two Naim NAP 135 Amps (driving a pair of Cabbase Iroise cabinets). I'm absolutely satisfied and pleased with the result.
Great product and definitely worth the money! The **** preamp plus the necessary power supply I used originally did cost about 5500,- Euro. For Axiom Pre I had to pay around 130,- Euro.
That's what I call competitive ;-)
Kindest regards
Jo

Thanks Tim!
The Axiom arrived today - it works perfectly, excellent attenuation with no loss of fidelity. My bedroom system (Squeezebox + ZVex iMPaMP) just got a lot better. I was losing a lot when lowering the volume with the Squeezebox - not anymore.
Thanks again for your speedy service!
John

I believe I am one of the first to actually get a pair of Tim Stinson's newest and best interconnect cable, the Synchestra Reference, so I thought I'd share my impressions. I don't think Luminous even has these listed on there website yet.

System Setup:

Analog Front End: Sota Star Sapphire/ET-II/Benz Ruby
Phono Stage: Jeff Rowland Cadence
Preamp: Jeff Rowland Synergy IIi
Amplification: Jeff Rowland Model 12
Speakers: Martin Logan Quest Z w. 2 BagEnd Subs.
Interconnects: "brand X"
Speaker Cable: Straightwire Crescendo Biwire
Power Cords: TG Audio Silver
Power Tweaks: Shunyata Hydra, Wattgate outlets, PS Audio P300, PS Audio Ultimate Outlets
Isolation: Relaxa Racks, Aurios MIB, Paul Miller Pods.
Room: Dedicated listening room of approximately 33' x 22' x 11' with dedicated power supply.

Testing Procedure:

I replaced the "brand X" interconnect between my turntable and phono stage with the Luminous Audio Synchestra Reference interconnect. The "brand X" has been my reference for almost three years and was chosen because of its musicality and resolving capabilities without the etch and glare which most highly detailed cables suffer from. Like many audiophiles, I have had a fairly constant stream of cables circulating in and out of my system, including some of Luminous's earlier interconnects, and none of them had managed to displace the "brand X". Prior to doing any critical listening, I let the cables burn-in for a full week. All of my listening was done with my analogue front end ( I have another pair coming which I will hook-up to my digital front end; let me know if anyone wants my thoughts on that). I listen mostly to acoustically recorded classical and jazz music. My critical listening is done principally with large scale orchestral works and 60's jazz. I also throw in the occassional female vocal LP.

Impressions: The Synchestra References are extremely fast. Initial transients have a snap-to effect that I have never before experienced. On certain recordings, such as the first track of Kitamura Swing Sessions, this created greater sense of "you are there" than I have previously experienced. Higher frequencies are revealed in fine detail without becoming harsh or etched. This allows minute audio cues to come through without creating a sterile musical environment. Bass is tight and fast - no sense of bloat whatsoever. The kick drums on Sheffield's Michael Ruff LP were as quick, tight and natural as I've heard. I believe my system is fairly neutral (what audiophile doesn't) and these cables allow my Rowland gear to reach new levels of resolution while giving nothing away in the areas of image size, image location, soundstage depth and width, and pace. My only reservation is that I imagine the Synchestra References might be too much of a good thing in a system leaning toward the brighter side. While I am not normally concerned with the aesthetics of my cables, it is probably worth saying a few words obout the Synchestra References. These are not fancy looking cables. The "brand X" are far more impressive. There is no shielding whatsoever and the mesh jacket is fairly simple. If you are looking to impress your friends with python-thick multicolored ICs, these are not for you. If you just want great sounding ICs, I haven't heard better.

Hi Tim, Received the cables today - they were in great shape, no shipping dings. I just put in the SS interconnects and listened to 2 songs. I can't believe the depth of stage they show right out of the gate! It seems like the performers up front took a half step back, but all the background players went waaaaay back to where they should be. I never realized how 2-D my "brand X" cables were - and they had better depth than my previous cables did. Very impressive right off the bat - I cannot thank you enough for your cables - makes me want to listen to all my discs all over again. Thanks! Kevin

Hi Tim, Some time ago i received your Synchestra Reference and Signature ICs, and I am very pleased by their performance. Without getting into detail, let me just say the Synchestra does it all right, very good resolution, everything seems to fall into place and nothing distracts you from enjoying the music. There is just more of everything, without adding a flavour. I guess you could call that neutral, something the other cables I tried (brand A/brand B/brand C/brand D/brand E/etc...) would not offer. Although I took chances by ordering your cables without demoing them first, trusting in a few reviews I found in the internet, I don't regret the purchase at all. For the first time, I feel like I'm not in the market for new ICs any more. Also, it was great doing business with you, thanks again for answering my numerous emails promptly and sending out the cables immediately. all my best, and have a great weekend; Thomas

Mr. Stinson, I'm glad I tried your Synch. Sig. Makes my "brand X" sound like it has bloated, dirty midbass, lack of LF extension, lack of HF extension and too much lower treble energy. Kind of like the letter M on a chart, where flat would be the bottom of the middle v (a capitalized M)... Congratulations on achieving very nice LF and HF extension without sucking out the midband. I like having the extension of silver and keeping midband warmth. Larry

Hi Tim It is some months since I received the ICs, but I guess it takes that long to develop a lasting impression, not to mention get over the burn in period. My impressions are extremely favourable. The sound is very full, yet (not sure why this should seem paradoxical) dynamics at all frequencies are amazing - an effect that really brings the life in the music to the fore. I have gone through lots of cables, frustrated that each has its peculiar flavour, with each different flavour appearing to bring nearly as many minusses as plusses. ...But the Synchestra Reference just lets the music burst forth, like the real thing does, and the improvement over the "brand X" is amazing. Most noticeable of all is the combination of speed and weight to the bass - usually these are in conflict with each other - for the first time in my experience there is an unequivocal improvement in both. In fact I cannot recall any interconnect creating such an unprecedented improvement in my system before. Remarkable since I have tried so many cables at around and above the price of the Synchestra Reference. Many thanks Mark

A week ago, I replaced my "brand X" interconnects with Luminous Audio Synchestra Reference interconnects. In the first 24-48 hours of use, I was not blown away by the sound, although there were aspects of it (dynamics, speed and treble smoothness in particular) which unquestionably bettered the SSIIs right out of the box. Last night, after a few more hours of burnin, sounds started coming from all around the room, and from further behind the back wall than I had imagined possible. I was indeed blown away. No need to look at the receipt. In your head you have an imaginary stereo and an imaginary friend who gives you advice. There's a real world outside your head. Give it a try!

I bought it, so may as well use it. After a couple of hours I was at a loss for words. The LSS sounded more like music than any IC I have used before. Over the next couple of days I continued swapping out all 3 ICs and really started scratching my head??? The "brand X" appeared more lively with lots of sparkle and detail, the "brand X" had about the same magic as the "brand X" with better bass and dug deeper into the recording in bringing out all the subtle details. The LSS has better and more powerful bass than the other contenders. The LSS has a midrange and high end that is as sweet as your components can dish out. I was floored, I continued switching CDs and even added a few that had what i would call agressive content( Songbird by Eva Cassidy # 9 Oh, Had I A Golden Thread) Second half of this song gets agressive with very high highs that on the other contenders made me turn down the volume, not so with the LSS. Smooth as a baby's behind. This is a wire that will not grab you at first, in fact I would bet that if anyone were to audition the LSS with other top notch ICs, the LSS would be the first one retired. No added sparkle, no Angelic highs, just gloryious music. I even went back and tried the LSS and others on the SS pre amps, the LSS came out the winner. I must confess that after hearing all the sparkle of the other two contenders on the SS pre amps I just discarded the LSS as being dead sounding as if someone threw a couple wool blankets over the speakers. In the beginning the 2 and HT grabbed my attention the LSS did not. The LSS has all the detail and sparkle of the others, it is just presented in a different and hard to describe manner. The LSS to my ears is just plain musical with great bass extension and a HUGE soundstage( I believe the 99 plays a large part regarding the soundstage) everything just sounds correct and natural. For one day I had a pair of "brand X" and tried my old pair of "brand X", the LSS prevailed. The LSS will remain in my system until bettered... I have sold the 2 and 3 pairs of "brand X", the LSS is that good in my system and with my ears, YMMV.

Dennis

Hi Tim, I just wanted to compliment you on these cables. I was getting discouraged with all the changing out I was doing with cables. But the buck stops here with these cables. I have found what I've been looking for. These cables are just magic and have brought muiscal happiness back in my life again. I have gone through quite a few cables to find the right mix. "brand X", "brand X". "brand X", "brand X", "brand X", and finally the "brand X" cables I was currently using. I can't imagine going back. These cables are here to stay!
Phil

Hi Tim, I think for the first time I'm hearing the limits of the electronics. These are absolutely amazing! Jeff

Tim,
Ok. - as promised - I'm getting back with more info and response re. the cables. The system seems to have stabilised now.
1. these cables are beautifully transparent - imaging and tone are most convincing. I can close my eyes and it's (almost) like being there - 'there' being the Stavanger Concert Hall. Perhaps more accurately, I believe I'm getting much more of what the recording mix engineer laid down.
2. The transparency has a sigificant impact for the system as a whole, in so far as I now can hear significant differences in the system depending - for example, on which base(s) the equipment is mounted on. This has allowed me to get far more out of the system than I'd imagined was possible. This principle also extends to the speaker cables, in that mounting them off the parket floor also seems to reduce 'noise'.
3. The overall sound of the system is clear, transparent, musical and . . hmmm .. perhaps 'unstressed' is an applicable adjective. I'm very happy so far.
4. I tried alternative and bi-wiring combinations with my old cable and the Luminous spkr cable mixed. No contest ! At first I thought the old cables might have sounded more dynamic, but on careful listening I rather quickly concluded that they were just noisier. The interconnects I used previously are for sale if anyone is interested.
5. The Synchestra Silver Sig interconnect cables are in my opinion – truly excellent. I cannot imagine needing or wanting to upgrade these. Though not inexpensive (by my modest standards), I regard them as providing great value for money, and I must congratulate you on providing such a fine product.
6. Synchestra Signature spk cable – ditto -.
As I’m sure you will have gathered by now, I am no Hi-Fi scribe and I find it difficult to describe my musical &/or technical findings much beyond stating my delight with the purchase. Perhaps it will suffice for me to say ‘thank you’ for helping me get to where I can now experience music at home and on tap, and if that isn’t enough, then . . . No - you can't have these cables back!
Best wishes,
Chris

Hi Tim, After getting the Synchestra cables connected I stayed up until 2 am listening to music. Although these cables are just starting their burn in, they still were able to add a whole new layer of musical detail (as well as stripping away a great deal of the artificial tonal colorations that were masking or distorting the natural timbre of the voices and instruments). They made all my recordings sound new again, but for the complex musical textures of large orchestral works (and opera) the improvement was mind boggling. The subtle nuances of humor and emotion were revealed without over emphasis, the tapestry of complex tonal colors was breathtaking in its clarity. The sound of each instrument and voice seemed to reach my ears directly from their discrete positions on the sound stage without any sense of the music being output by the speakers. The acoustic reverberations of the hall or studio where each piece was recorded were distinct and almost holographic (when I move the CDP and AMP out of the listening room this low level detail will be truly stunning). The best recordings in my collection left me awestruck with admiration for the composer, the conductor and the performing artists. I felt like joining the applause of the audience. All of these impressive impacts were achieved and the yet the cables have just started burn-in! I cannot thank you enough for these lovely cables. They will vastly increase the pleasure I take in my recorded music. ... You should take great pride in what you have achieved.
Warm regards,
Cameron