Preamp comparison Avalon 737 vs UA 610 vs UA 710

Got to play with some preamps today at my friendly GC store. I went in during my lunch hour because Friday to Sunday the stores are generally too busy to try things out. The sales guy hooked up all three of these preamps and we spent about 40 minutes going back and forth singing and adjusting. I've been looking for a tube preamp and heard a lot of good and bad about all three of these.
 
I have to say hands down the Avalon against the other two was amazing. Big, rich and clear. Second place would go to the 610 and although very nice and full sounding it's also a little woolly meaning lack of clarity in the upper midrange. In a mix, it would work but it was not as detailed. The 710 was similar to the 610 except I found it overall too grainy for my taste and once again not as detailed.
 
The test of a good preamp in my mind is when a vocalist does a slide or trill. This is where the Avalon surpassed the others significantly. It glued together in a silk way the vocal. The other two broke down and fell out volume wise as the vocal went from loud to soft. At any rate, for those wanting a rock edge sound with some grit, I would lean on the 610. For the big pop vocal, R&B or country, the Avalon would be the ticket. Now I have to get my hands on a Martech. Thought I would share.

Yes, I agree. I was also tracking down the M5 which is the preamp from the Avalon without the compressor or EQ. (Most people say the compressor is not that great in the 737). The M5 is almost the same price as the 737 used, maybe a couple hundred dollars less. Might as well get the 737 and use the EQ section at least.

I also ran across some pictures of Mutt Lang's studio in Switzerland. He has a whole wall of M5s for tracking, so that's a pretty good endorsement.

According to the Avalon web site the M5 is a "discrete" pre, not valve.

http://www.avalondesign.com/737m5.html

T

Not that its not a great one! Just not tubes...

Love Mutt Lange! That guy is unbelievable.......

It seems like the UA610 is not a favorite here on the forums......I love all the classic Glen Campbell, 5th Dimension, Beach Boys, and any other tunes that involved the "Wrecking Crew". Alot of these tracks went through a UA610 (and a prototype Putman board before that) and no one can dispute how great the recordings sound.

I'm working on something now in that kind of vein , which is why I bought the 610....hope it's not "wooly" like I keep hearing

And now the rest of the story. Check out the files in this link

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear-shoot-outs-sound-file-comparisons-audio-tests/151934-big-shootout-pacifica-737-la-610-r121-jz2-etc.html

In the mix, my ears tell me the 610 is the most consistently usable. An old but reliable sound.

I was definitely moving toward the 737 until I heard those files side by side. The 610 worked in the context of a mix much better than either the Pacifica or 737. That was a shock. Although the poster over there eventually went with the Pacifica as he was stacking vocals, and for that work, it was the better choice.