A great man* once said "I like things in life that are the best." And while there's plenty of subjectivity in the world of audio engineering, the Avalon M5 Class A Microphone Preamplifier is a strong contender for top of the single-channel mic pre heap.

This marvel of modern pro audio design combines bulletproof construction with functional elegance and integrity of internal circuitry to achieve a sound and performance that's second to few. Most world class studios will have at least a single Avalon M5 in the outboard rack for recording platinum-sounding vocal tracks, but that's not all this preamp can handle. Owen gives it a listen on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, and electric bass in the video demo.


*Howie Long.