LDR3000T – ” I am truly gobsmacked by this (pre)amp. “

“The difference it makes to the sound is astonishing. I echo what others have said: clarity, purity, sound stage. But I particularly agree with “clean”. It’s really unbelievably clean. And natural. Very very natural sound. And the one thing that I don’t think others have mentioned but which is really striking in my system is the bass. Huge extra bass depth and slam…”

LDR3000T.V25 High Performance Tube Preamp owner


LDR3.V25 – “There have been many goosebump moments…”

“….let me be clear. I love it! First listen after completing assembly was to LPs, with the turntable feeding into the Meitner’s phono section and from the Tape Out (fixed level) jacks into the Tortuga. Sound quality is noticeably better than through the Meitner’s own line stage, top to bottom, with a veil removed and better controlled bass very apparent. There have been many, many goosebump moments, with familiar albums often taking on a new beauty thanks to the Tortuga’s superb performance. Make no mistake, this is a relatively inexpensive preamp with exceptional accuracy that does not in any way add to or subtract from the original recording, IMHO.”

LDR3.V25 Passive Preamp owner


“I’m floored by the sound quality”

“Today I received the LDR3x board and I am FLOORED by the sound quality. I’ve been using a TVC [transformer volume control] for several years and was very happy, but the LDR simply blows it away. I am hearing detail I never knew existed in recordings I have listened to hundreds of time before. Bass is better, treble is clearer, etc….the sound is killer. I am retired and have been pursuing this hobby seriously for 40 years. The last 20 years of my career was as a music wholesale salesperson – I worked for Telarc for 7 years and then for an indie distributor where I sold several audiophile labels, so I have some serious experience listening. This volume control is fabulous.”

LDR3x DIY preamp controller owner


LDR1 | “…the most perfect preamp I could imagine.”

“I have an LDR-1 and it is fabulous. Best preamp I ever owned at any price. When I bought it I thought I would get super transparent sound at the cost of thinning things out. Usually, that is the price for transparency. I took the risk anyway. I was dead wrong. The transparency is indeed the best I ever heard – but it is so full sounding – I can’t believe my ears. Now, warm and full are not the same. It is not warm. It is truthful to the recording. Regardless, it is that fullness and weight and supreme smoothness without sounding bloated and without giving up one iota of detail which makes this a world class product. I doubt things could get more than 5% better at any price- even $100,000. The LDR1 is the most perfect preamp I could ever imagine.”

LDR1.V2 Passive Preamp owner


“Truly the best sound I’ve heard in my system.”

“What an experience! Truly the best sound I’ve ever heard in my system. A layer of “mush” has disappeared and angry high S’es are now pleasant. More details and less harshness, especially in mid-upper-high range compared to the EC4.6. It is absolutely marvellous at low levels, the pot-meters in other preamps I’ve had were all out of balance in the channels at extreme low volumes, now it’s all in perfect balance from 1 through 99 with a beautiful room experience, width and depth in the music.”

LDR preamp controller owner


“It’s an audio tour-de-force”

“I’m rediscovering my entire music collection, and have been reduced to tears by things I thought I knew.”

LDR1B.V25 Passive Preamp owner


LDRx – “….hands down the best preamp I’ve used.”

“Open, easy, organic, transparent etc., and – above all else – natural. It makes other preamps (esp. active ones) sound electronic and mechanical.”

LDRx Passive Preamp owner


LDRxB – “Yes, it’s that good…”

“I can honestly say though even at $2695 this unit will easily blow away stuff that is 3x the cost. Actually, come to think of it, I’m not sure what else one could want no matter the cost unless you want fancy aluminum cases and bragging rights.”

LDRxB Passive Preamp owner


LDR3.V2 – “It blows me away. Easily the best I’ve heard.”

“What did the LDR3.V2 do for the sound? To my surprise, a sense of even more transparency. There are details in the midrange and treble that are just more obvious now. The treble seems more extended, but there was absolutely no change in tone. I don’t know why this is possible. I can’t perceive a lower noise floor. Vocals are even more realistic, and everything has increased texture and is more palpable. But the best thing of all is the increased speed of transients. Everything has an immediacy to it. This even translates to the bass. Kick drums have speed and an authority that is impressive. There is a tremendous amount of quick energy there that just wows me on many tracks. The music has real life and intensity. It blows me away. Easily the best I’ve heard. And I don’t perceive any loss of dynamics and any volume. “

LDR1B.V25 Passive Preamp owner


“If you must have the absolute best, look no further.”

“I have just installed the Tortuga LDR board and can say that it is the be all end all of volume controls. It is dead silent and any level changes are seamless and silky smooth. I believe the vision of the Melos circuit of the mid 90s has finally been fullfilled. If you must have the absolute best, look no further.”

LDR3x DIY Preamp Controller owner


LDR3.V25 – “This Tortuga is amazing! “

“This Tortuga is amazing. It is just like the review in Absolute Sound: The ultimate in transparency.”

LDR3.V2 Passive Preamp owner


Review of the LDR3.V25 Preamp & TPB.V1 Tube Buffer

“The Tortuga Audio preamp equaled or surpassed all basic performance parameters against any contenders I had in house, passive, active, tube, FET and at any price level with regards to faithfulness.”

“Music through the LDR6 is an ephemeral experience. It dances with fire for a brief shining moment and disappears, leaving you wanting more.”

“The performance of the little Tortuga reopens the passive vs. active debate.”

– Review by WallOfSound.com


Review of the LDR3.V2 Passive Preamp

“…you would be hard-pressed—regardless of budget—to find a preamplifier, passive or active, that delivers your music with less editorializing than the Tortuga Audio LDR3.V2.”

– Review by The Absolute Sound

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Review of the LDR6 Passive Preamp

“The Tortuga Audio preamp equaled or surpassed all basic performance parameters against any contenders I had in house, passive, active, tube, FET and at any price level with regards to faithfulness.”

“Music through the LDR6 is an ephemeral experience. It dances with fire for a brief shining moment and disappears, leaving you wanting more.”

“The performance of the little Tortuga reopens the passive vs. active debate.”

– Review by 6moons.com

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LDR3.V25 Passive Preamp & TPB.V1 Tube Buffer @ 2019 Florida Expo

“…the first time I’ve heard a system where the amps were nothing special and the preamp section and an installed tube buffer made everything work so magically.”

– Review by The PartTimeAudiophile.com

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Review of the LDR1B.V25 Balanced Passive Preamp & TPB.V1 Tube Buffer

Impeccable clarity, transparency, and neutrality with a dash of smoothness (that made listening non-fatiguing).”

– Review by Audiophilia.com

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2015 RMAF Room Review | LDRx Passive Preamp

“…capable of transporting the listener to a higher plane of sonic enlightenment, and that’s exactly what a soundsystem should do..”

– Review by the PartTimeAudiophile.com

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2014 RMAF Room Review | LDRx Passive Preamp

“The LDRx seemed to be a perfect fit despite its affordable pricing, helping the system have a clear and transparent presentation, wide stage, and big dynamic contrasts, kudos for bringing such great performance at a low cost.” 

“The sound here had my friend contemplating a purchase, beautiful workmanship and elegant, yet exciting sound, great room.”

– Review by EnjoyTheMusic.com

Tortuga Audio Passive Preamp recommended by HiFiPig.com

Review of the LDR6 Passive Preamp

“There is just a sense of absolutely everything having been stripped free of fuzz and imprecision. Instrumental placement isn’t approximate or inferred. Instead, instruments are precisely located at a fixed and exact distance from the others with the space between performers and the characteristics of the recording environment jaw-droppingly obvious.”

“… the LDR6 produces a sound completely free of colouration, with a soundstage that was just consistently deeper and better resolved than with any other passive pre-amp I have ever used.”

– Review by HiFiPig.com

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Review of the LDR1.V2 Passive Preamp

“The LDR1 …. represents the least colored preamp I have ever heard in my system. It also provided greater resolution than any other preamp in my experience.”

– Review by Audiophilia.com

Review of the LDR3.V2 Passive Preamp

– Video Review by Newrecordday.com

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