the sum of experience and emotion:
The valvet pre-amp soulshine is VALVET’s new top-of-the-line product. Also in this case, tubes weren’t re-invented, but were used especially cleverly. Two directly coupled stages in one intelligent circuit – more isn’t needed to convey great feeling. The soulshine provides connections for 5 line inputs. These can be selected by means of a high-quality, mechanical switch located near the sockets. All signal connections inside the housing are made with pure silver PTFE. In the middle of the front are two 24-pole step-switches for volume and balance adjustment.
With these gain controls you have the possibility to adjust the input level of your source components for the optimal range of the actual volume control knob (24-step switch or remote control). The signal runs through two double triodes (ECC802S + ECC99 / 4 of FULL MUSIC 6SN7 on soulshine8) and only one high-quality foil capacitor per channel . The volume setting can be made either using a 24-step switch or by means of a remote control with an excellent conductive-plastic potentiometer. There is a choice of two outputs plus recording output or three outputs. The external power supply uses a powerful torodial transformer and, for the first time in our preamp range, a solid-state rectifier, since this design has proven to be advantageous for the sound of the soulshine.
No component-overkill, but perfect working conditions for the soulshine. All housing components are made of aluminum, between 2 und 12mm thick. Pre-amp and power supply rest on the famous “Millennium Audio” pucks. The soulshine shows exceptional detail, plasticity and sound stage. Everything is played on a black/still background. The listener hears no tube noise, but many tube virtues. Voices really have body, strings have the right fluidity, and an electric guitar sounds just like it should. Especially the harmony between silence and dynamics captivates the listener right away. The difference between soulshine and soulshine8? They are not worlds apart. The pendulum goes a bit more to precision on the soulshine and to emotion on the soulshine8. Tube lovers will probably prefer the soulshine8. No old school “tubesound” here but a tiny bit more easy on the ear where the soulshine convinces the audience with solid state virtues plus excellent midrange / voices performance.
