Dropping the needle on The Gaslight Anthem’s cover of Tumbling Dice, I heard a presence that went unnoticed prior to the 1.1’s arrival. The thud of the kick drum locked down a foundation of immediacy. The crisp snap of hand claps and tambourines sliced and diced through the mix with authority. Yet, there seems to be a richness to the tone that keeps this preamp an arms length away from sounding thin, lifeless or sterile. It took some time to figure it out where this richness was coming from as I made my way through a number of selections. Anything ranging from Mobile Fidelity’s Madeline Peyroux’s Half a Perfect World to Lynyrd Skynyrds debut album provided evidence that something special was lurking deep in the soul of the 1.1. As I listened, I started to hear the heartbeat of this preamp pumping blood of percussive snaps and gut busting thumps and strums that gave way to a sound that can only be described… as musical.

Yeah, the 1.1 works as advertised, it has rhythm. Boat loads of rich, bold, life changing rhythm.