Manley Labs Jumbo Shrimp, Neo-Classic 300B and Snapper
Magicos and the matter of power
The S1 MkII’s may be relatively small speakers, certainly for Magico standards but, as I found, they do place some demands on the partnering amplifier(s). Especially when playing a little bit more loudly, it’s not uncommon for these speakers to request 400+ Watts from the amplifier. This then becomes a matter of robust power supplies more so than merely a high (quoted) wattage. The CH outputs “only” 150 Watts into 8 Ohms but it has four times the dynamic power and boy does it ever exert control over any loudspeaker! As I found out first hand, it even drives Magico Q5’s superbly well.
Knowing this, tubes are certainly not excluded but even in the transistor realm, I’ve come across products that simply don’t make the Magicos sing. That said, it’s not like the S1’s place unreasonable demands but they do desire serious power and stability or they will sound slow and mushy.
Listening – Snappers with Magicos
With the Antipodes CX running Roon via HQPlayer into the Aqua LinQ via the Aqua Formula xHD DAC and the Audio-GD Master 1 preamp, normally, the Magicos are driven by the CH Precision A1.5 class A/B or NuPrime ST-10 Class D amplifier, now, it’s the pair of Snappers turn.
Well, I’ll be… this was beyond expectation. Not only do the Snappers drive the Magicos, they drive them really well! Granted, being tube products and EL34’s at that, it’s a very slightly sweet sound and they are obviously not possessing of the solid-state amps’ superlative bass control but it’s by no means soft and certainly not mushy. Rather, the pacing is spot-on and so are the dynamics. Do I dare turn up the volume? I do, and the Snappers simply oblige.
I came across a deep house track with a groove that I really felt in my gut. I turned up the volume and turned it up some more and witnessed a big grin forming on my face. Holy cow, the Snappers simply do not run out of steam! Of course, Deep House will not really highlight a sophisticated piece of audio equipment’s merits but it does show that power is absolutely not an issue to be concerned about.
In terms of sound quality, I really can’t add much more than I already noted. The Snappers are recognizable as tube amplifiers but that’s about it. Besides being slightly lush and romantic and thus more readily enabling deep emotional listening than most competing transistor competitors, the Snappers are basically Chameleons. The source components and speakers are more decisive for the end results than these little beauties.
Conclusion
This review marked my first experience with Manley audio products and what a ride it was. The Jumbo Shrimp is a nice preamp with certain audiophile aspirations and a good choice when one is on a budget but it doesn’t quite offer enough to warrant a heartfelt recommendation. The Neo-Classic 300B, on the other hand, is truly something special. Its voluptuous sound may be an opinion-divider but there are precious few other products that illustrate this effectively what Tube Magic is all about. Some minor quirks and caveats aside, the Neo-Classic 300B offers a large slice of Tube Heaven and is well worth auditioning.
The Snapper Monos, finally, are tonally neutral but solid, tuneful, positive and dynamic while adding precisely the right amount of lushness and liquidity to produce a highly refined and emotionally involving sound without sounding rounded or particularly tubey. And that’s precisely how it should be. Power amplifiers should amplify the source signal and accurately as possible, ideally without invoking overt control or otherwise technical quality, while offering enough power to drive the speakers of choice. For their chameleon-like behavior combined with copious power, at a price just under 10.000 Euro, the Snappers come highly recommended.
(Snapper Monos)
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Hi Christiaan
Your current review drew my attention to the Snappers. Have you tried them with Ayon preamp? Are they going to find a place in HFA award list and where?
Thank you again for another informative review.
Hi Ilan, good thing you mentioned the HFA Award list. I had forgotten to add the Manleys but have done that now. As for the Ayon preamp, while I have not tried that, I have no doubt that this would have worked very well. The Snappers behave very linearly, without much in the way of a character, and so they can be paired with a wide range of components.