Compared NEVE 1073 DPD and Presonus 1818VSL

Тhis test is only trips and no advertising focus. I wanted to understand what is so different between a legendary preamp and a standard preamp and I think already knew.

Audio chain is simple. Takamine guitar recorded with NEUMANN U87. Used cables are Belden. The microphone goes to NEVE 1073 preamp. The first part of audio recording the signal goes from digital output of NEVE 1073 (AES) to digital input of Presonus 1818VSL. I'm using Neutrik NADIT Box for SPDIF Conversion.
The second part is from the microphone signal goes to microphone input of Presonus 1818VSL. So in the first part preamps and converters are from NEVE 1073 DPD. The second part is only 1818VSL preamps and converters. Try listen with good headphones or audio monitors.

The test is made in audio recording studio RENEWSOUND

[HaMa-hemn]

straight to the point comparison, good job!

[persianchris]

Wow, that low mid warmth was much more present with the 1073 in the picture.

[jacoblong]

Phenomenal. What model takamine is this?

[markwarner]

I would be interested to here what the line out from the Neve into the line in of the Presonus sounds like. My guess is it should bypass the XMax preamps and sound like the Neve going in via the SPDIF?

[steveparadox]

I didnt think the NEVE 1073 DPD had SPDIF out?

[phillamoore]

If the Presonus output level was equal to the 1073, the difference between the two wouldn’t have been anywhere NEARLY as noticeable. Given the price, this video isn’t a competition, or about what’s better (that’s obvious), it’s about just how close, and how good the Presonus sounds for what it costs. That’s the part that’s astonishing. Not, that a genuine Neve 1073 sounds better than a 10yr old discontinued product. That should worry Neve. Presonus is putting out incredible gear for the money. You add a quality 1073 plugin, that are sounding astonishingly close to the real thing, these days….and, there’s no reason a musician on a budget can’t get exceptional results. The bottom line is that you STILL have to know the gear you’re working with, and have well-trained ears.

[Meteotrance]

Damn the difference is huge ghe presonus seems more dry and clean but the mid range of the Neve was crazy good, so not neutral but terribly detail and musical, the benefit from a preamp like that can found a way with Ribbon mic, i like the fact that it's AES and also SPDIF out that can be very usefull for keeping the true sound of the internal Neve circuit without adding another preamp coloration from the XLR that could also be great if you need an external Comp and EQ daisy chain to it ...

[timoti]

TBH I frequenly fail to hear a lot of difference between pres, compared with other variables - but this is massive. Un-accountably so - this is like an EQ difference as opposed to a say preamp circuit transient response. Am wondering if there is some different impedance matching, some wierdness in the the different conversion chains. Thanks fo rhte shootout - but now i'm just really confused.

[Reviveguy.official]

I belive the first one is recorded at 96 khz, and the second recording is in 41 khz ! I am right ?

[BojanBojovic]

The main problem with this comparison is that you did not match the level so the Neve one is much louder, not to mention that you compare two different takes. When matching the levels there is an audible difference, subjectively there is a huge difference if taken into account that many other pieces of gear when compared the difference is subtle at best.
Objectively there is only a different frequency curve applied tot he signal, so nothing special happening here. Whether anyone thinks it is worth paying this kind of money for a EQ preset it is a personal decision of course.

[caminglis]

Big difference there, but to be expected, simply totally different electronics inside each

[offerthesun]

It would've been better to compare the analog output of the Neve connected to the Line inputs on the Presonus. It is more then clear that the XMAX preamps are not the best.

[DarkTrapStudio]

Wow, I did not expect such a drastic change, theses Presonus preamps sounds really bad

[rdigitalrecords]

Creo q falto balance de volumen en los audios

[JohnGauge]

That sounds like a direct from the acoustic. That is not a microphone.

[heavymetalnewsdesk]

nothing that cant be achieved another way

[jayhunthuntcreative]

Presonus sounds alive. Neve sounds muffled and compressed.