Allegri+
Simplicity in Circuit: Meet the Allegri+
Unleash the true essence of your music with the Allegri+, a revolutionary passive preamplifier that redefines sonic purity. Engineered with cutting-edge transformer-based attenuation, it delivers unmatched transparency and precise volume control, letting every note shine without coloration. Celebrated for its neutrality and breakthrough performance, the Allegri+ offers high-end audio excellence at an unrivaled price. Experience music as it was meant to be heard—pure, unfiltered, and breathtaking.
The final combination of components brought new life into an already excellent sounding system. Long term listening sessions would result in absolute immersion to the music being played. Closing one's own eyes, I could hear the detailed nuances in the music mirroring that of actually being there.
The listeners were immediately aware of the lack of electronic hash, glare, hardness and artificiality. Instead we heard near magical transparency, exceptional bandwidth, tight control, fine clarity, wide dynamic range, excellent pace and timing, and deep, wide sound stages. Scores can become a little crazy when one encounters components that redefine sound quality, but I have to give this control unit a massive 235 under good source and load conditions.”
The preamp/control unit is ‘the heart of any hi‐fi system’. Townshend told us: ‘The Allegri+ Passive Autotransformer preamp is a very small control unit with a very big heart’… To sum up then, I agree that the Townshend Allegri+ merits an Outstanding Product award and I endorse the nomination unreservedly.”
After months of listening I cannot and will not do without the Townshend Audio Allegri+ Preamplifier. Though it sounds like nothing at all, it allows everything else to shine! There’s nothing like this on the planet—until now. My highest recommendation!
It might lack features, but this premium preamp is a force to be reckoned with, packing amazing transparency and insight… If sound is all important, we suspect you’ll be smitten.”
Context: The review emphasized the Allegri+’s sonic purity, positioning it as a top choice for audiophiles prioritizing sound quality over additional features.
I believe the Townshend Allegri+ represents incredible value for money in sound quality terms, it’s not big and shiny but it is capable of truly transcendent results… this product and a very few select others warrant an Editor’s Choice, an indication that it is the best product in its class at the time of review.”
Context: Kennedy praised the Allegri+ for its unmatched fidelity and value, awarding it one of the highest accolades for its category.
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On the heels of the ridiculously superb (passive) Allegri+ preamplifier, with its secret sauce…fractal wire… They [F1 Fractal Interconnects] were immediately sonically perfect in and around the Allegri+. This F1 interconnect is a superstar!
The Allegri+ is a breakthrough in design as much as ultra-linear, FETs, DSD, or the like. Fractal wire impedance control is hard to implement. No one has ever tried to do it before now, or even thought about trying. All I can say is the Allegri+ is a stunning marvel for our audio age and a bargain, too.”
“SUBLIME” Townshend Audio Allegri+ Autotransformer Pre Amp used by MAGICO | BandW
Allegri + Attenuation Table
The Allegri+ Preamplifier is the world’s first honest-to-goodness high-end audiophile passive line stage… It sounds like nothing at all, allowing everything else to shine! A true breakthrough design and musical triumph.”
The Allegri+ is genuinely devoid of the characteristics and colourations that are found with the vast majority of preamplifiers… It makes listening to your favourite music a totally immersive and fabulous experience.
his is an exceptionally transparent preamp that sounds absolutely brilliant with everything you care to throw at it… It’s as close to a universal straight wire with attenuation as you can get, at least without spending silly money.”
t might lack features, but this premium preamp is a force to be reckoned with, packing amazing transparency and insight. The Allegri+’s sonic purity, driven by its autotransformer design, which outperforms competitors like Naim and Cyrus in transparency.
5 STARS
Townshend’s Allegri passive control unit is one of serious hi-fi’s greatest bargains.
The honesty of the Allegri+ is humbling… The speed of drum rolls is almost startling, and the top end is as clear as fine-cut diamonds.
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EXPLORE INSIGHTS AND EXPERTISE
frequently asked questions
How does the Allegri+ compare to the Allegri Reference?
he Allegri+ is a compact, manual, single-ended preamp priced for enthusiasts seeking purist sound. The Allegri Reference adds:
- 129 half-decibel steps vs. 24 steps
- Remote control with Apple TV handset
- Built-in Seismic Isolation feet
- Five RCA inputs plus two XLRs, with vacuum-sealed relays
- Enhanced display and programmability (e.g., input leveling, cinema bypass)
The Reference offers “another level of sound quality” with deeper soundstages and finer detail, ideal for uncompromising systems
What do reviewers and users say about the Allegri+?
- HiFi Pig (2017): “The honesty of the Allegri+ is humbling… The speed of drum rolls is almost startling.”
- The Ear (2019): “Just as transparent, tonally neutral, and wide in bandwidth… A totally immersive experience.”
- Positive Feedback (2017): “It sounds like nothing at all, allowing everything else to shine! A stunning marvel.”
- User Feedback: “I was shocked by the definition, musicality, and utter lack of distortion” (audiophile visitor, Positive Feedback).
How does the Allegri+ enhance my listening experience?
By eliminating noise and coloration, the Allegri+ reveals your music’s true essence. Whether it’s the “exhilarating” bass of Kraftwerk or the delicate decay of acoustic instruments, it delivers “non-stop fabulous” fidelity (The Ear). Pair it with Townshend’s Seismic Isolation Corners to combat vibrations, and experience “holographic-like sound images” that transform your hi-fi system
How does Townshend Seismic Isolation differ from conventional rigid couplers?
Townshend Audio’s mechanical low pass filter exemplifies true decoupling, offering a level of vibration isolation that far surpasses conventional attenuation methods. By effectively isolating components from vibrations down to below 3 Hz, Townshend ensures that high-fidelity audio systems perform at their best, free from the distortions caused by external vibrations.
What makes the Allegri+’s transformer design unique?
The Allegri+ features a groundbreaking autotransformer design, a pinnacle of Townshend Audio’s 50-year engineering legacy. Key accomplishments include:
- Fractal-Wire™ Technology: Developed through extensive listening tests, this proprietary copper treatment minimizes signal degradation, delivering “acoustically invisible” transfer. Unlike standard copper or silver, Fractal-Wire™ preserves micro-details and dynamics, ensuring “astonishing transparency” (Townshend Audio).
- Mu-Metal-Laminated Transformers: Each of the 24 volume steps uses hand-wound, mu-metal-shielded autotransformers to eliminate electromagnetic interference and reduce distortion to vanishingly low levels (<0.01%). This results in “a top end as clear as fine-cut diamonds” (HiFi Pig).
- Impedance Matching: Unlike resistive passive preamps, the Allegri+’s transformers dynamically match source and amplifier impedance, maintaining signal integrity across all volume settings. This ensures “mind-blowing” dynamics, even at low levels (HiFi Pig).
- Wide Bandwidth: The transformers handle 8Hz–100kHz (±0.1dB), supporting deep bass and extended treble without phase distortion, critical for low-level listening clarity.
These innovations, refined by Max Townshend, make the Allegri+ a “stunning marvel” that “sounds like nothing at all, allowing everything else to shine” (Positive Feedback).
How do the Allegri+’s unique volume steps enhance low-level listening?
he Allegri+’s 24 volume steps are meticulously engineered for precise control, particularly at low levels, where many preamps falter. Key features include:
- Non-Linear Step Design: The steps are spaced to provide finer adjustments at lower volumes (e.g., -60dB to -30dB) and broader increments at higher levels (up to +4dB). This ensures “exquisite control” for late-night or critical listening, as noted by The Ear: “Low-level listening is totally immersive.”
- Transformer-Based Attenuation: Unlike resistive volume pots, which can introduce noise or channel imbalance at low settings, the Allegri+’s autotransformers maintain perfect channel balance and zero noise, delivering “startling clarity” for delicate passages (HiFi Pig).
- Transient Precision: The Fractal-Wire™ transformers preserve micro-dynamics, making whispers, decays, and subtle instrument textures vivid. A user on Positive Feedback raved, “I was shocked by the definition at low volumes—vocals sounded alive.”
- No Noise Floor: The passive design eliminates mains-borne hum and electronic noise, ensuring “the noise floor is sucked out like a vacuum” (HiFi Pig). This is critical for hearing low-level details, such as the “breath of wind instruments” or “string harmonics” (Townshend Audio).
These features make the Allegri+ ideal for audiophiles who prioritize clarity during quiet listening, rivaling preamps costing far more.
Why We Recommend Fractal™ Interconnects with the Allegri+ Preamplifier
At Townshend Audio, we engineer every component for uncompromised audio fidelity, and the Allegri+ Passive Autotransformer Preamplifier is no exception. To unlock its full potential, we strongly recommend pairing it with Townshend F1 Fractal™ Interconnects. Here’s why this combination is essential for achieving the ultimate in transparency, dynamics, and low-level listening clarity.
Synergy with Fractal-Wire™ Transformers
The Allegri+ relies on proprietary Fractal-Wire™ autotransformers, a breakthrough in signal transfer developed through years of listening tests by Max Townshend. These transformers use specially treated copper to deliver “acoustically invisible” performance, preserving micro-details, dynamics, and tonal accuracy with vanishingly low distortion (<0.01%). The Fractal™ Interconnects are designed with the same Fractal-treated copper, ensuring a seamless signal path from source to preamp to amplifier. Using standard cables—like copper or silver—introduces coloration and signal loss, undermining the Allegri+’s transparency. As Townshend Audio notes, “One metre of inferior interconnect can degrade the sound significantly.”
Preserving Low-Level Listening Clarity
The Allegri+’s 24 non-linear volume steps are optimized for precise control, especially at low levels, where subtle details like vocal breaths or string harmonics shine. Fractal™ Interconnects maintain this clarity by:
- Eliminating Signal Degradation: Their Fractal-treated conductors minimize phase distortion and noise, ensuring “startling clarity” for delicate passages (HiFi Pig).
- Maintaining Impedance Matching: The interconnects complement the Allegri+’s impedance-matching transformers, preserving dynamics across all volume settings, unlike generic cables that can cause “dullness or harshness” (The Ear).
- Wide Bandwidth: Supporting 8Hz–100kHz (±0.1dB), Fractal™ Interconnects deliver deep bass and sparkling treble, critical for low-level listening where “every note feels alive” (Positive Feedback user).
Where can I buy the Allegri+, and what cables should I use?
Purchase directly from Townshend Audio or authorized dealers like Audio Affair, Analogue Seduction, or MCRU. For the best sound, use Townshend F1 Fractal™ Interconnects and Speaker Cables, as standard cables compromise the Fractal-Wire™ transformers’ transparency. Contact us for dealer recommendations or custom cable options
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