Veloce Audio LS-1 Platino Linestage [SOLD]

Description

The Veloce Audio LS-1 Platino Linestage is an exceptional piece of audio equipment – I can honestly say that it’s possibly the best linestage that I’ve owned, but it’s time to move it on. In saying this, my points of reference include the Emotive Audio Sira LE, the Emotive Audio Epifania, and the Allnic Audio L-5000 DHT. All of these were world-class linestages, but I believe the LS-1 to be better in terms of outright transparency.

Build Quality and Design

The front panel is set in chrome, with the 4 x 6H30 tubes protruding from the facia horizontally – a clean and intuitive design, featuring well-crafted controls that offer a satisfying tactile response. The remote is a solid chunk of aluminum and has a good hand-feel.

Battery Power

The use of the Lithio batteries eliminates the noise and interference often associated with AC power supplies, resulting in an exceptionally low noise floor. This characteristic allows the LS-1 to deliver a remarkably transparent and pure sound. You’ll know instantly when you hear it:  music emerging from an inky black background. The original Platino series was upgradable to full ‘lithio’ battery, and my unit has had this upgrade performed by the previous owner.

Sound Quality and Performance

The Veloce Audio LS-1 Linestage offers an expansive and transparent window into the music, unveiling layers of detail often obscured by lesser components. Its soundstage is impressively wide and deep, with excellent instrumental separation that allows each element of the music to be clearly defined and positioned within the space.

The Veloce LS-1 excels across a wide range of musical genres, from classical and jazz to rock and electronic music. However, it doesn’t guarantee that every track in your collection will sound good.

Its sound signature emphasizes clarity and dynamics, with just a hint of warmth from the 6H30 tubes, maintaining a predominantly neutral character.

Versatility and Compatibility

The LS-1 Linestage is designed to integrate seamlessly into any audio system and pairs beautifully with its siblings, the Veloce Audio Saetta hybrid battery monoblocks. Offering a range of input and output options in RCA, and with a single balanced input and output, it can accommodate easy integration with any source component or most power amps. Dual outputs allow it to drive a power amp and a pair of stereo subs if that’s your thing. Controls are clear – there’s an LED display on the front panel that’s clear enough from a distance but doesn’t light up the music room when you’re enjoying your sounds with the lights off. The battery control unit is elegantly styled with the Veloce logo on the front, but it’s small enough to be tucked away out of sight if you prefer not to have it displayed in the rack. The umbilical is long enough to be stashed well away from the equipment rack.

The battery power system is designed to provide long-lasting performance, and the lithio battery pack can be sourced easily enough if a replacement is ever needed. The 6H30 tubes are easy enough to source online. I replaced the set that came with my unit with a premium matched quad from Upscale Audio. The premium price didn’t really translate into any uplift in sound, so the Veloce LS-1 is probably not a tube-roller’s preamp. The 6H30’s last a long time, so this pre really doesn’t suffer from any of the maintenance foibles associated with typical tube gear. The premium Upscale Audio 6H30 tubes will be provided with the preamp and it will ship with the tubes in situ, as from the factory.

Operation of the unit is super-slick. Press the power button on the remote and the front panel lights up and pulses while the unit goes through its start-up routine. After around 30 seconds the flashing stops and the LEDs come to a steady state, at which point it’s ready to operate. I’ve never had an issue of powering up the unit when the power amp is powered, so there are no nasty pops or discharges and it appears safe to use this preamp with a power amp that remains powered all the time. Once powered, the unit comes up to full strength quickly, and there’s no prolonged warm-up period as with many other tube designs. Fifteen minutes is all you need for the unit to perform at 100% of its sonic capabilities.

Turning the unit off from the remote shuts down the LED display and the battery controller comes into play, switching over automatically to begin restoring full charge to the LS-1’s lithium batteries. A full charge will keep the unit playing for many, many, hours – I’ve never fully depleted the battery, even when accidentally leaving the preamp on overnight. A recharge from 4 hours of playback takes less than 10 minutes. It’s safe to say that there’s absolutely no downside to battery operation, other than the small additional box that you’ll need to accommodate.

Customer Support and Legacy

Although Veloce Audio is no longer in business, the legacy of the LS-1 Linestage continues through the dedicated support of its designer. This ongoing support is a significant advantage for owners of the LS-1, as it ensures that they can continue to enjoy the linestage’s exceptional performance with confidence in its longevity and reliability.

Rated a conservative 8/10 for age and very minor smudges and wear on the remote.

Full product review and used appraisal – Veloce Audio LS-1 Review