Review by Noam Bronstein Many audiophiles glancing at this product will likely assess its low price tag, MM-only gain capability and obscure name brand, and dismiss it with a shrug. That’s a crying shame, and makes “them” at best, likely ADD sufferers, or at worst, a pack of fools. (them, not you! You’re still reading) I say that, because Robert Morin’s Lounge Audio LCR MkIII is the most honest piece of audio gear I’ve come accross in quite some time. It’s a novel design, it’s beautifully made (in California), it looks great, and, within its parameters, it performs better than almost any phono preamp I’ve encountered south of $1200-1500. Giving the Lounge LCR MkIII our Gold Star award is a no-brainer. But a little context is needed. And truth be told, I reviewed this unit very much out of context. Allow me to explain. At Wall of Sound we’re analog enthusiasts. Not snobs, mind you, but we work hard at getting the most out of the black disc. My guess is that a good many Lounge LCR users will be spinning their vinyl on a modest setup. Maybe a lower end Rega or Pro-ject ‘table, fitted with a decent, if not spectacular, high-output [...]
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