At Townshend Audio, our passion for music drives us to create audio components that deliver unparalleled transparency and fidelity, revealing every nuance of a performance. We are thrilled to announce that the Town DUTY Allegri Reference Preamplifier has been honored with the Hi-Fi+ Highly Commended Award in the Preamplifier of the Year category for 2020. This prestigious recognition from one of the industry’s leading publications affirms our commitment to engineering excellence and sonic purity.

A Preamplifier That Redefines Transparency

The Allegri Reference is not just a preamplifier—it’s a microprocessor-controlled, passive autotransformer volume control (AVC) that sets a new standard for signal integrity. Unlike active preamps that can introduce noise or coloration, or resistive passive designs that compromise dynamics, the Allegri Reference uses Fractal-Wire™ autotransformers to achieve near-perfect impedance matching. This ensures the signal remains pristine from input to output, delivering what Hi-Fi+ described as an “unforced and natural presentation.”

With 129 half-decibel volume steps, full remote control, and a clear LED display, the Allegri Reference offers precision and flexibility for both home audiophiles and professional users. Wired throughout with our proprietary Fractal™ cable and suspended on Seismic Isolation feet, it eliminates vibrational interference, achieving a soundstage that is vast, holographic, and rich with detail. Reviewer Jason Kennedy, in Hi-Fi+ issue 184, noted its ability to outperform high-end competitors, stating, “It’s a monster of the most refined and revealing variety that I have ever encountered.”

Hi-Fi+ Highly Commended Award: A Mark of Distinction

The Hi-Fi+ Awards 2020, published in the December issue, celebrate the finest audio products of the year, with the Highly Commended designation reserved for those that stand among the elite in their category. The Allegri Reference earned this honor for its remarkable ability to “get out of the way of the music,” as Hi-Fi+ put it, delivering a sound that is both transparent and musically engaging. The magazine highlighted its strengths in stereo separation and acoustic space reproduction, noting, “It’s hard to fault the Allegri, especially in terms of stereo separation and its ability to reproduce the precise acoustic space of recordings.”

Hi-Fi+ further praised the preamp’s ability to reveal limitations in other components, stating, “It’s hard to appreciate how critical the preamplifier is until one like this comes along and reveals what you thought was a limitation of the source was actually a distortion by the preamp.” This transparency, combined with its wide bandwidth and high resolution, made the Allegri Reference a standout in a fiercely competitive field, securing its place as a top contender for Preamplifier of the Year.

Why the Allegri Reference Excels

The Allegri Reference is designed to be the heart of any high-fidelity system, offering features that elevate both performance and usability:

• Fractal-Wire™ Autotransformers: Wound with aerospace-grade mu-metal laminations, they deliver distortion below 0.01% and a noise floor that’s virtually silent.
• Seismic Isolation: Integrated feet isolate vibrations down to 3Hz in all planes, expanding the soundstage and sharpening instrument focus.
• Flexible Connectivity: Five RCA inputs, two paralleled XLR inputs, a front-panel 3.5mm jack, and dual outputs (RCA and XLR) accommodate complex setups.
• Precision Control: 129 volume steps, programmable input levels, and cinema bypass ensure seamless integration and refined adjustments.
• Passive Purity: No power supply in the signal path eliminates mains-borne noise, embodying the ideal of “a straight wire with gain.”

These qualities, as Hi-Fi+ noted, make the Allegri Reference a preamp that “goes further in all departments” than most, offering “state-of-the-art sound quality” at a price that challenges costlier rivals.

A Legacy of Innovation

The Hi-Fi+ Highly Commended Award 2020 joins a storied list of honors for Townshend Audio, including HiFi Pig’s Outstanding Product for the Allegri+, StereoNET’s Applause Award for the Allegri Reference, and Hi-Fi+’s Editor’s Choice and Innovation Awards for the Seismic Isolation Podium. Each accolade reflects the vision of our founder, Max Townshend, whose pioneering work in autotransformer design, cryogenic treatments, and vibration isolation has redefined audio engineering for decades. The Allegri Reference builds on this legacy, delivering performance that Hi-Fi+ described as “world-class transparency and unerring detail.”

We extend our deepest gratitude to Hi-Fi+, Jason Kennedy, and the editorial team for recognizing the Allegri Reference’s unique contribution to high-fidelity audio. Their rigorous evaluations echo our own dedication to pushing boundaries, making this award a cherished milestone.

Experience the Allegri Reference

The Hi-Fi+ Highly Commended Award 2020 is more than recognition—it’s an invitation to hear your music anew. The Allegri Reference doesn’t add to the sound; it reveals what’s already there, with a clarity and emotional impact that transforms every listening session. From intimate acoustic tracks to full orchestral works, it delivers the artist’s intent with breathtaking fidelity.

We invite you to explore the Allegri Reference Preamplifier on our website and contact an authorized dealer to arrange a demonstration. Discover why Hi-Fi+ placed it among the year’s finest—and why it’s the preamp your system deserves.

Thank you for trusting Townshend Audio to bring you closer to the music you cherish.

Townshend Audio Team