Model WMTS XP-2 is a Fully Balanced Preamplifier for Ultra High End Audio Systems.
This preamp is fully updated as of January 2019.
The insides are brand new, but the shell is from my demo unit, so there are some minor cosmetic marks, but not many.
I have included a review of the exemplar eXception SE Preamp below so you get an idea of what the XP-2 sounds like.
The WMTS-XP-2 is the Exception SE preamp on Steroids.
Notes are thicker and more solid with clear delineation. Sound stage is wider and deeper that the SE. The imaging is so deep On the track Mountain Jam, by the Allman Brothers, you can almost physically see the two drum sets behind the rest of the band.
The XP-2 may have a slight bit of warmth to it vs the SE, but I wouldn't call it a warm sounding preamp. It still has all the detail you will ever need, but yet amazingly musical. Even through the most analytical speakers, all music sound great. From Diana Krall to Led Zepplin, from Rush to Patricia Barber. If you have a good source, this preamp will make that music shine. In my 30 plus years in the industry and as a hobbyist, this is the best preamp I have ever had in my system.
Note: Below is a review of exemplars other preamp, The eXception SE. Don't be confused by this!
Exemplar Exception SE Preamp Review by Gary S. of Choice Audio, Inc.
“John Tucker’s Exemplar Exception SE preamp is a truly remarkable achievement. It incorporates solid engineering practice, excellent build quality, and superb sound.
The Exemplar exception SE preamp needs about 100 to 150 hours of burn in. Most of my listening so far has been with vinyl, but my comments also apply to CD’s and high res digital files. As an aside, John will be modifying my Oppo BDP 105 in the near future.
The sound is superb. Wide band, low distortion as expected, but the Exception SE line stage preamp exhibits none of the overblown warmth of some tube preamps, nor is it clinically precise. The top end is very smooth and it maintains tight bass down at the low end. It is truly a musical sounding preamp.
The sound stage is amazing, and I think the first thing you notice about the preamp. Actually, it hits you really hard and is not subtle. In my system the speakers have vanished as point sources in the sound stage and the instruments are spread across in front of you. The space around the individual instruments jumps out. Listening to female vocals, the singer is always placed precisely in front of the instrumentalists – where this localization is present on the recording. Mozart concertos come across as if the orchestra were 20 feet in front of you. On large scale pieces like Mahler’s symphonies the crescendos are handled superbly, but the individual instruments can still be heard as distinct musical sources. Close your eyes and you can picture the piano in front of you on well recorded pieces. Violin solos let you hear all of the harmonics a good instrument will produce. On rock I have heard things that I did not know were on my record collection and it is a continuing joy to rediscover music I listened to 20 years ago.
The preamp is incredibly revealing but still makes less than ideal recording enjoyable. I don’t know how John managed to do this, but it is true. All in all I think my original comment sums it up. This is a truly remarkable achievement. Thank you John.”
The WMTS XP-2 is all of the above with improvements in many areas.
Model WMTS XP-2 is a Fully Balanced Preamplifier for Ultra High End Audio Systems.
See review in Stereotimes:
http://www.stereotimes.com/amp072312.shtml
Full true fully balanced differential circuit utilizing no negative feed back. Dual Mono power supplies, critical attention paid to chassis isolation and resonance control. Stillpoints as feet.
Specifications:
Exemplar Audio WMTS XP-2 Preamplifier
Controls: power, tape select, mute, volume, input select
Outputs: 2 sets RCAs, 2 sets balanced XLRs, 1 set RCA tape out
Inputs: 4 sets RCAs, 2 sets balanced XLRs
Input Impedance: 100K ohms
Output Impedance: 133 ohms
Frequency: 10Hz-50KHz
S/N: >90 db
Tubes: 5670 or 6829
