AIYIMA T1 PRO Tube Preamp Vacuum Receiver Home Audio Preamplifier with RCA/Bluetooth & Bass Treble for HiFi Stereo Amplifier&Powered Speakers,with AUX/12V Trigger Signal OutputClimatePartner certified

The media could not be loaded. Aiyima’s T2 preamplifier appears to be well-built and is surprisingly compact. The volume and tone nobs feel positive, with palpable clicks indicating adjustments. The included RCA cable is of very good quality. The tubes installed easily, I did have to make a slight adjustment to some of the pins. Just take your time, make sure the pins are straight, and avoid forcing anything. This unit pairs nicely with my Aiyima A07 amplifier, adding tone controls and Bluetooth connectivity to my system. Not to mention the customizable tube sound (the tubes can be swapped to achieve different sound signatures). I look forward to testing out a few different tubes in the future.Turning on the unit gives off a nice blue glow from the tubes, with hints of an amber bulb color as the tubes warm up. The Bluetooth connected with ease, the Aiyima name popped up immediately on my Android phone and quickly connected. The tone controls offer plenty of adjustment. I can now make quick changes as I jump from one music genre to the next. The T2 comes with two sets of pre-outs, allowing you to connect a second amplifier if desired. Overall if you’re looking to add tube-sound, tone controls, and Bluetooth connectivity, this is what you’re after.My setup:I'm using the internal DAC from an MSI B150i Gaming Pro, connected via 3.5mm aux to RCA adapter to the Aiyima T2 preamplifier. From the Aiyima T2 preamplifier I’m connected to an Aiyima A07. Then from the Aiyima A07 out to a pair of JBL A130 bookshelf speakers and an Emotiva Airmotiv SE8 subwoofer.

Great soundstage, quality volume and tone controls. Stable BT connection.I built some Paul Carmody Speedster bookshelf speakers and a Voxel passive sub. Power my bookshelves with with an SMSL SA-98E (about 50 watts per channel (though they advertised at 100wpc) and a Dayton 2.1 t-amp (where the 2 channel amp is left unused.Findings:The speedsters are power hungry so my SMSL SA-50 didn’t have enough juice to push them. I tried the Dayton amp as a stand-alone 2.1 desktop setup. But found the 2-channel soundstage really compressed and flat.I tried the Fosi 2.1 amp and it was even worse. Read, I plugged it in and immediately opened a return request back to Amazon. It was complete garbage.So I limped along with a cheap Logitech BT adapter and fed the two outputs to the two amps and controlled the volume separately… it was ‘fine’.Sounds was OK but still compressed. So I decided a tube preamp may help. Obviously the dual output would solve the two volume controls, but was going for a better soundstage.Delivered in spades! Wide open staging, clear imaging, clean sound.I’m coming from a mid-fi background. Never paid more than $1000 per speaker (think Martin Logan and B&W) and there’s a lot of snake oil out there. This pre-amp is the real deal.I’m not super picky anymore, but know what decent sound should sound like. This fits the bill.

That expression reveals my age, as does the stack of junk in the photo, where the Aiyima Tube T7 has found a home. I did order the upgraded tubes as well, but they haven't arrived yet. This is my impression of the supplied tubes.Hookup was simple. I ran USB into a Topping DAC into the T7's inputs, then connected the output to the tape loop on the Marantz receiver (lower unit). It feeds a pair of Klipsch Heresies, and a 250 watt 15" sub. I also connected my Android phone to the Bluetooth.First, the Bluetooth performance is exceptional. It pairs quickly and the sound definitely benefits from both the DAC and the tubes' effects on the signal.Running an UltraHD stream from Amazon HD from my PC over USB, it's arguable whether the Marantz benefits from the additional tubes and circuitry or not. Marantz of the the 60s and 70s is considered to be some of the best sounding gear ever made.Still deciding on that, I switched over to the slightly newer (1980) JVC, which has a clean amp section and 25% more power than the Marantz, but is nothing really special. On this receiver, the Tube T7 added a bit of "friendly bounciness" to the sound, a slightly warm colored sound that seems to bring the sound alive. This is a good match.With the Marantz, you'd have to decide for yourself. The effect is good for the most part, but imparts some sibilence and smear to high-frequency details. I'm anxious to try the new tubes, and even more excited to try running this through a class D amp like the A07 or brand new A08.And if you're just looking to add Bluetooth to your setup, this unit should definitely be considered.Update May 30, 2021The DollaTek upgrade tubes came, and they're a definite improvement -- but they're noisy! (It doesn't matter once the music's going, it's just a slight hum and hiss). The effect of these tubes on the sound is much rounder, less harsh, adding a slight bit of sizzle and shine to the higher frequencies. The tubes that came with the amp were near silent at idle, but didn't sound the same. I'd say not as good in my setup, your mileage may vary. Worth trying both to see the difference.Update June 1, 2021One knock against the unit is the microphonics exhibited by all the control knobs, because they are aluminum and have a firm mechanical connection through their respective pots soldered to the main circuit board. I'm not saying that I did or didn't hear this in the music, but it is easy to hear wearing headphones and using the knobs.

For whatever reason it doesn't have that tube sound. Other than that I like the sound and features.