Sutherland Direct Line Stage Preamp

"...another great bargain from the team of Ron Sutherland and Chad Kassem...The Sutherland Direct Line Stage's performance is credible at any price; for $3000, it's nothing short of incredible. Like Sutherland's PhD, the Direct Line Stage gets you into the uppermost echelon of current audio gear for a relatively sane price...if you're shopping for a line stage - any line stage at any price - the Sutherland Direct Line Stage should be on your audition list. And if you're even remotely considering upgrading from a model of lower or similar price, put down the magazine and pick up the phone. You don't want to miss this one." - Brian Damkroger, Stereophile, September 2006

"…The Director is a screamingly original solid-state line-level pre-amplifier…simply hit 'play' on your CD player or lower your stylus and The Director instantly senses what you're listening to…Although Sutherland makes a point of this being a no-frills unit of sane pricing, its constituent parts give up nothing: The Director reeks of luxury…Damn, is this thing quiet. Despite it being mains-powered, it seemed to these ears to be as ghostly as its battery-driven sibling…this unit is about transferring information in the most coherent, unpolluted way possible." – Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, April 2006, www.hifinews.co.uk

"Here's why (in addition to its great sound) I love the Director: There is only a volume-control knob. There is no knob for selecting the source component - the Director does this automatically, as soon as it sees a signal at the RCA input sockets. Want to play a CD? Press Play on your machine; if the CD input isn't already selected, the Director will switch to CD...By the way, there are no annoying clicks when you change the volume settings, and the volume control's ball-bearing mount has a very silky feel...The Director did what an active preamp should do: it provided enough voltage gain, with the attendant better dynamics and superior dynamic shading, compared to most passives. If there is a better active, solid-state line stage for $3000, I haven't heard it. Specifically, I heard none of the electronic grunge, hardness, or glaze I associate with run-or-the-mill solid-state preamps. Distributor Chad Kassem claims that the Director compares with preamps selling for $5000. I believe him...I could live with the Director quite nicely, and likely will." - Sam Tellig, Stereophile, January 2006