Review on 🔊 FX AUDIO Tube Preamp: NE5532 Replaceable Tube and OP Amp Chip Mini HiFi Stereo 6K4 Vacuum Tube Buffer Preamplifier - Bass and Treble Control - RCA Cable Included for Amp/Active Speaker by Amy Johnson

I took the risk and decided on a cheap tube preamp. So I looked at all the small tube preamps and after reading the reviews settled on the Audio FX. I ordered GE pears or reeds, whatever you want to call them. I didn't even bother with the cheap tubes that came with it. I screwed the tubes between the Marantz preamp and the Emitova amp. The sound seemed a bit softer and the stage a bit bigger. I had no way to compare A/B. Then I remembered that my CD player has an optical output. So I compared the optical output to the RCA output via FX Audio. The results were not significant. Not really tube sound, but not bad. The treble and bass controls worked well, as did the volume control. I'm not sure what the tubes are doing, but it's actually a nice little preamp. Few is the working word. I was going to return it because I don't need another preamp that doesn't have a tube sound, then I figured this thing was only $50. I will save it for a future project. It won't be in my main stack as it doesn't add anything, but it keeps up with Marantz saying something.