ART TRANSX a Virtual Review?

CoolCat

Well-known member
just out looking at some Dual channel preamps and the ART TRANSX- Dual pre popped up. .
File under: Transformer PreAmps.

Interesting it grabs some Daking like points with the Jensen input transformer, HPF circuit. (Except it does have a On/Off switch...nice)
But then ART TRansX gets like a Great River vibe and adds the Output transformer and Output knob to allow saturating by cranking the Input Gain and lowering the Output level..very cool.
Instead of a 300/1200 impedance button, the Art TransX uses a variable Impedance from 150 to 1K offering more tone shaping.

Reading only reviews it seems the ART is very quiet and has more than enough gain, and quiet even when running high gain. There seems to be the standard Phantom, Pad, Phase with a nice LED Output meter, to keep an eye on gain staging and even a output Transformer Lift switch...like a DI Radial JDI has.

I do have a question on the DI x 2qty. The manual states the DI does go through the output transformer, but Im guessing the DI doesnt go through the Input Jensen. Does anyone know?
Not a big deal as I will probably always keep my Radial JDI box, as it sits to the right on the desktop, and I can plug guitars in and out with such ease and no plugs and cables in the way.

the price today is $489 new (used price? there werent any for sale used, I could find.)
$489 pricing, shocked me a bit, but for 2qty preamps with DI and Jensen Transformers and Custom output Transformers.. ok....(Im getting old, my daughters car was $38k,,,new cars in my day were $10k. ART stuff used to be $150 and ISA One's were $245 and so were SM7's? lol...Shure SM57 are still $99 though?)

As someone stated already the 2qty Jensen Input transX and the 2qty output custom transx eat up a lot of that $$.
Add in the DI x 2qty, the power-supply, and the rest of the box and circuitry ...I couldnt build one with such a nice layout and silkscreen.

$489 for a ART TransX.

for me the toughest competition isnt throwing a hat in the ring, with Daking MicPreII and Great River 2NV...but their own ART TPSII unit at $215.

Buying New vs Used appeals to me, as recently my Used gear buyer Ive had some used crackling pots, and a channel went out on another which is obsolete so no repairs offered by the OEM. Old tired scratchy pots and caps and like buying a New car vs Used car...Used has that stress attached, where New theres easy return and 3 yr warranty.

the ART TransX is $489....................note: Daking MicPReII is $1100 and Great River 2NV is $2275.
thats obviously the target area of this unit and makes the TransX look more appealing.
 

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