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The Music First silver TVC is such an ultra resolving piece of kit that I've come to expect its substitution with any other pre to result in a loss of resolution. It is a passive after all. All that stands between it and power amp is the silver wire wound to construct the transformers along with a few solder joints and RCA connectors. For me this was about as good as it got in theory and in practice the sound was my reference. However, the acquisition of a copper version of the Music First last year did cause a little chin scratching on my part. The original copper-wound Music First TVC is preferred by many for being slightly fuller in presentation and possibly being a safer option in the majority of systems where the silver's increase in resolution might push the higher octaves into stridency - or reveal stridency in the system.

Levels already matched and remembering to change speaker polarity as I swapped from the Music First Silver TVC to the First Audio Presence Deluxe, what immediately struck me was how the expected loss of resolution never occurred and how the sound seemed to be more fluid, more musical for want of a better word. The Silver TVC was definitely leaner by comparison, which I suspected was also down to the Dynaudio's 86dB load really benefiting from an active line stage despite the 180wpc output of the AMR AM-77. This was confirmed later in the week when the 95dB Audio Note AN/Es were introduced into the system for a short spell. Then the differences between Silver TVC and active pre weren't so pronounced. Far from following in the wake of my own in-house champion, the First Sound Presence Deluxe turned the tables on my silver TVC and revealed limitations I’d never expected beforehand. It seemingly combined the uncompromising resolving capabilities of the Silver TVC with the more organic romantic attributes of the copper at least in a system which was more representative of what the majority of readers will have at home (with regards to speaker sensitivity and amplifier output).


On "Elsewhere” from Sarah McLachlan's The Freedom Sessions, immediately there is the low-level background hiss found on most every analogue recording. The first note you hear is a slow growling bass, then a rhythmic drum beat followed by soft rat-a-tat-tat percussion emanating from deep in the soundstage and with this test of resolving capabilities the Silver TVC and Presence Deluxe were inseparable to my ears. Further listening on other well recorded CDs confirmed that neither was more resolving than the other when it came to the low-level sounds and their spatial cues that can seem indistinct with less resolved equipment.

Where the First Sound improved on the Silver TVC was when things got busier and instruments seemed to have that bit more character, a more distinct richer tone if you will. It was during the writing of this review that I saw a very interesting short report by the local TV station where a recording engineer displayed a graphic showing the single bass note sung by Barry White with a bass guitar and a trombone. The interesting part was that the graph also showed the multiple harmonics which accompanied the note. When these harmonics were electronically removed, it was impossible to distinguish between the voice, trombone and guitar. Harmonics are what give instruments and voices their individual tone and character to determine their timbre. I can only speculate that it may well be in the resolution of these harmonics where the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkIII trumps the Music First Silver TVC. After extended listening to the MkIII, switching to the Silver TVC led to a reduction in the ‘musicality’, the leanness of the Silver TVC becoming more apparent by comparison. At the risk of repeating an oft invoked audio cliché, during my evaluation of the First Sound I did end up digging out old CDs, indulging in listening sessions deep into the early hours and my final notes were actually made whilst playing Cara Dillon at 2.45am. On her CD Hill of Thieves, "false False” has a simple piano introduction which envelopes the listener somewhat phasey and indistinct before being joined by a double bass from left of stage and shortly after a single violin from the right.


The Silver TVC reproduced this simple arrangement beautifully, leaving me wondering how the First Sound could possibly improve on any aspect. Cara's sublime voice was as seductive as I'd imagine it could ever be - well, almost. The only proviso was that my 300B amps excel when fed such material. Swapping over to the First Sound as quickly as possible and then back again to confirm the impression I'm about to give you, the First Sound Presence Deluxe had a perceptible bloom which I'm confident wasn't a bloom being added as it made the recording sound ever so slightly more natural, more organic and resulted in a more involving experience. Once again I was minded to think that here we had the strengths of the copper and silver TVCs melded together. It felt like an easier listening more system-friendly copper TVC with the improved resolution of the silver plus active circuitry to further improve compatibility with a wider variety of systems.


In conclusion, the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkIII ticks off every box a music-loving audiophile would wish by being ultra resolving, supremely musical, affordable for the high end and with a build quality and appearance which encourage pride of ownership. Emmanuel Go seems to have left no stone unturned when it came to getting the very best performance from this device where every single component, joint and interface undergoes the utmost in scrutiny before being allowed to grace the chassis.
Even the torque of the nuts and screws underwent experiments. It's hard for me to envisage how this level of performance could be improved. Yet the Presence Deluxe MkIII has three more levels of upgrades and further up the scale there remain the Paramount and Statement series which culminate in a six-chassis affair which the likes of me wouldn't even have rack space for.

Reusability of packing: Multiple uses.
Condition of component received: Both the Presence Deluxe and its power supply were in A1 condition.
Quality of owner's manual: Very good.
Website comments: Extensive technical specifications, details of upgrade options, links to reviews etc.
Human interactions: Professional and friendly.
Warranty: All First Sound preamplifiers come with a 3-year parts & labour warranty, valves for 90 days. "Our service philosophy is simple: We treat you the way we'd want to be treated. We know how traumatic it can be to have a fine component out of your system. We engineer First Sound preamplifiers to be rugged and reliable. So if a problem ever does develop, we can afford to do whatever it takes to have you listening again in the shortest possible time. We ask that you first contact your dealer if your First Sound component needs service. Minor problems can often be resolved at the dealer, avoiding further delay. If you are no longer near a dealer, contact us via e-mail or telephone. In this case or if the problem is outside the scope of dealer support, we will make the repair at the factory. Units received at the factory for repair are given priority over new production."
Pricing: Good value for the quality of build, quality of components, attention to the most minute details and of course the sound quality which is the best I've had in my system.
First Sound website