The family resemblance is not just cosmetic. The Progression Stereo drove the Alexia Series 2 effortlessly, and I was greeted with the same tonality, harmonic richness and differentiation of timbres as when I heard the speakers hooked up to the Progression monoblocks. Less noise means greater dynamics not to mention a more convincing see-through presentation, the sounds emerging clearly against a pitch-black canvas. It was like using the luminosity slider in a photo-editing software package to banish noise that lurks in the shadows of a digital image. Now the sound was infused with a tube-like bass bloom without any loss of lucidity, the pairing revealing the purpose, drama and sheer vitality of the music. It was only when I installed the Progression Preamp that the magic was revealed. I began with the Vivaldi One driving the Progression Stereo directly, only to be presented with a flat and rather pedestrian sound. Transparent Opus cabling was used throughout while a Momentum Preamp and Progression monoblocks were on hand as a memory ‘refresher’. The Progression Preamp/Stereo joined a pair of Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 loudspeakers for the listening, with a dCS Vivaldi One media player and Rossini DAC as digital sources. Two balanced XLR outputs are offered as ‘Zone 1 and 2’ while a plate covers the bay where the optional USB and S/PDIF DAC module may be installed. The rear panel is otherwise rather busy with single-ended RCA inputs for Phono and Aux, and balanced XLRs labelled Theatre (bypass), Radio, Server and DAC. The slim chassis of the Progression Preamp is at least partially achieved by separating out its power supply into a convenient ‘base’, the two located via four spiked feet and connected via a supplied umbilical cable.
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