DAC
“The Exemplar Audio eXpression DAC is an awesome component that performs far above its price point and conveys a new level of soul into our reference system at Audience. Congratulations, John Tucker, for this great achievement.”
–John McDonald, President/CEO of Audience – Nov. 2024
Complete System
- eXemplar Complete System: Part-Time Audiophile
- eXemplar Complete System: Positive Feedback
- Exception Integrated, Interconnects & T105
Kevin Meeks, client (click to expand review)
I love the audio hobby and feel we are blessed to have such great audio gear to choose from and I am thankful that there are such great designers that make it happen. However, I believe that the cost of staying in the hobby is becoming more and more difficult for average guys like me. Some manufactures are pricing their audio gear ridiculously high, to the point that many audiophiles will simply be priced out of the hobby.
To address my personal concerns I decided to conduct research in hopes of discovery designers/manufactures who were producing top-notch/high end gear that was also affordable in comparison to some of the well known expensive options. I read reviews, made calls and I also went to some high end audio shows going room to room taking notes. Importantly, I wanted audio gear that sounded musical and not edgy, sterile or fatiguing.
One of the companies I discovered while researching was Exemplar Audio. The guy behind the curtain is John Tucker. John is committed to designing audio gear that is true high end and “musical sounding.” Price to performance is extremely good; in fact my experience has been that the audio gear I purchased from John will compete with the majority of the best offered in this hobby but for far less cost.
When I am auditioning equipment I use both vinyl and digital (to include cd’s and streaming through USB). I use the same tracks to try to keep evaluations consistent.
Allison Krause – Stars, New Favorite, Ghost in this House (digital) Jimmy Buffet – He Went to Paris (digital) Chris Isaak – Wicked Game (vinyl and digital) Willie Nelson – Do Right Woman (vinyl and digital) Natalie Cole – I Wish You Love and Cry Me a River (digital) Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Sessions (cd) Waylon Jennings – various vinyl records and digital recordings Various artist – vinyl instrumental recordings
My first purchase from Exemplar Audio was the Exception integrated amplifier. I have owned it for about a year or so and John has upgraded the preamplifier section recently. The upgrade took it up another level, increasing overall fidelity. The upgrade now is a part of the current production units. As mentioned in a previous thread I have owned several separate pre-amplifiers to include: Parasound JC-2, First Sound MKIII, Coincident Line Stage and the Sanders pre-amp. All of the pre-amps were very top notch components but I have to say that the pre-amp section of the Exemplar Integrated is simply the most musical sounding of them all.
Using the above tracks I get beautiful musicality, deep, wide and open soundstage, deep controlled bass and a beautiful midrange. The Exception integrated is the complete package and in the majority of the categories that are evaluated by audiophiles outperformed my previous high end separates (Bob Carver mono-blocks, PWD MKII, PWT Transport and various preamplifiers), (Ayon CD-5, Ayon Triton and various preamplifiers). I went from having five separate components on my rack to two. The cost of the Exception integrated is $5,499.00.
My next purchase was an “upgrade” to my Oppo 105. It is now the T105 (tube version) and I just love this component. The stock Oppo 105 is a great value but IMHO not high end 2 channel audio. The T105 like the stock version is a jack of all trades and represents one of the best ways to process blu ray movies, CD’s and file streaming.
John strips the analogue section completely out and creates an amazing audio player. What have I compared it to? I owned the Ayon CD-5 and the PWD MKII and neither hold a candle to it. Now that is true value. I have talked to many individuals who have compared the T105 to DACS costing more than twice as much and they state the T105 is as good or superior. In fact, one dealer I talked to told me the only DAC he liked better at an audio show he attended was a MSB DAC selling for four times the price.
The T105 is also a source so the bang for buck is phenomenal. You see many of the upgraded Oppo 105’s at audio shows. Once again I want to state that the T105 is “musical sounding” and that is where is separates itself from many other highly regarded DACS. Something that must be considered and I see occurring is the quick drop in resale value of some of the DACS out there such as the PWD MKII and Direct Stream. Ayon constantly brings out a newer version of their gear and has raised their prices substantially. They arrive with great fan fair but the bottom drops out in resale value and usually it does not take long to happen. Cost of the T105 is $4750 which includes the Oppo 105.
My latest purchase was John’s Exception interconnects. John is always on the cutting edge of technology and has incorporated something new in the Exception cable line. In doing so he has been able to create some remarkable cables but also priced them unbelievably low. I describe their effect by saying they take the listener closer to the live event, a more you are there feel. You truly get the sense of being in the studio as the event was being recorded. Space and dimensionality is discerned. Voices are displayed beautifully and the realism is uncanny. Instruments sound real and have lots of air around them. The Exception cabling is the real deal, not the latest gimmick. It has taken a while for them to break in but worth the wait. They sell for a whopping $349 a pair.
As an audiophile I am looking for the very best performance I can get and affordability. I must emphasize the fact that I want gear that sounds musical. Exemplar Audio makes the grade and will meet the needs of most audiophiles. Highly recommended.
Kevin Meeks – Louisville, Kentucky
“The pre-amp section of the Exemplar Integrated is simply the most musical sounding of them all, and the bang for buck is phenomenal!”
–Kevin Meeks (client)
Digital Players
- eXpo T105 Digital Player: Stereo Times
Headphone Amplifier
- eXception Reference Headphone Amp
Positive Feedback (click to expand review)
Please click here to view this 2016 Positive Feedback Brutus Award.
“The final Brutus Award winner in this category is the brilliant eXception Reference Headphone Amplifier by John Tucker of eXemplar Audio..
John’s designs are well known to folks in the Pacific NW, and across the country where his work with tubes, speakers, and cables are highly regarded. He’s a highly-qualified audio electronics artisan, and produces electronics that are generally in a very affordable price range (in audiophile terms, anyway!). He’s meticulous in his evaluation of the parts that he sources…painfully so, sometimes…but the results are always worth the wait.
John’s eXception has been quite a while in the making. It was pretty carefully user-tested in its initial phase, to make final a prototype. That unit came here for a listen, and then went back to him for configuration to the final production guts ‘n glory.
The result is a very fine, solidly built, and handsome classic design. The brushed finish aluminum front has a large and very smooth ALPS volume control, a 4-pin balanced output jack, and a single-ended Combo XLR/TRS output. There are also two buttons, one to select the output, and the other to choose high or low impedance for the output from the amp. (Push in for 64 ohms or less; out for 75 ohms or greater.)
On the rear, there are two sets of unbalanced inputs, with a switch to choose which input to use. The power switch and IEC power connector round out this very clean package, the main chassis of which is solid steel. eXemplar audio notes that the eXception is built in America.
eXemplar audio claims a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz for the eXception, with an output of 300mw. (Believe me, it sounds a LOT bigger than that!) The tubes inside are three 6N6p/6H6p’s in an all triode signal path, and no negative feedback. This tube is apparently going to the mainstream as a preamp/driver tube, with a reputation for detail and resolution.
The unit is 16.25″ wide x 12.5″ deep x 4.5″ high, and tips the balance at a tolerably hefty 20 pounds. Warranty on the unit is 5 years, with a “1 year or 10,000 hour warranty, whichever comes first” guarantee on the eXemplar audio tubes.
The performance of the eXception headphone amp was promising in the prototype, but rounded out very nicely in the final production version. I listened to it with the Audeze LCD-4’s and Double Helix Cables Prion4 Reference Headphone Cable in 4-pin balanced mode. The results were so fine that I completed my impressions of the LCD-4’s using the eXception only. (Good thing, too, since neither the final production version of the Cavalli Audio Liquid Au headphone amp nor The King headphone amp from Audeze were forthcoming from their respective companies.)
The eXception had no problem driving the LCD-4’s via the DHC Prion4 cables quite nicely. The combination of these three showed the eXception to be dynamic, very detailed, highly resolving, and very quick in transient response.
All of my comments on the LCD-4’s above were based upon the eXception headphone amp and the DHC Prion4’s, and so constitute additional reflections upon the eXception. No audio component floats in a vacuum….
The eXception’s MSRP is $2995, a reasonable price in audiophileland for the quality of the workmanship involved.”
Preamplifiers
- eXception SE Linestage Preamplifier: Stereo Times
- eXception SE Linestage Preamplifier
Gary Spedaliere, client (click to expand review)
John Tucker’s Exemplar eXception SE Line preamp is a truly remarkable achievement.
It incorporates solid engineering practice, excellent build quality and superb sound. Too many of today’s high end products offer dubious engineering, poor quality components, inept soldering and overblown case work.
John took the opposite approach; good solid engineering, quality components, excellent build quality and a solid design. The preamp includes relay switched inputs where unused inputs are terminated to reduce noise pick up, a simple elegant understated front panel with etched Exemplar logo, a large volume knob with small push buttons for on/off, muting, and input selection – five line inputs and one AV(home theater) pass through. The unit includes a very nice solid feeling remote control for on/off volume, input selection, muting and LED on/off functions. When first turned on the motorized ALPS volume control returns to minimum volume and the preamp is muted as indicted by a flashing red led, until it has stabilized. This takes a few seconds
The preamp needs about 100 to 150 hours of burn in. My audio dealer was kind enough to let me try an early production unit for a few weeks. Both this early sample as well as the one I now own needed this burn in.
Most of my listening so far has been with vinyl but my comments also apply to CDs and high res digital files. As an aside John will be modifying my Oppo BDP 105 in the near future.
The sound is superb. Wide band, low distortion as expected but the preamp exhibits none of the over blown warmth of some tube preamps nor does it have the clinical precision that mars some solid state preamps. The top end is very smooth and it maintains tight bass down at the low end. It is truly a musical sounding preamp.
The sound stage is amazing and I think the first thing you notice about the preamp. Actually, it hits you really hard and is not subtle. Amazing! In my system the speakers have vanished as point sources in the sound stage and the instruments are spread across in front of you. The space around the individual instruments jumps out. Listening to female vocals the singer is always placed precisely in front of the instrumentalists – where this localization is present on the recording. Mozart concertos come across as if the orchestra were 20 feet in front of you. On large scale pieces like Mahler’s symphonies the crescendos are handled superbly but the individual instruments can still be heard as distinct musical sources. Close your eyes and you can picture the piano in front of you on well recorded pieces. Violin solos let you hear all of the harmonics a good instrument will produce. On rock I have heard things that I did not know were on my record collection and it is a continuing joy to rediscover music I listened to 20 years ago.
The preamp is incredibly revealing but still makes less than ideal recording enjoyable. I don’t know how John managed to do this but it is true.
All in all I think my original comment sums it up. This is a truly remarkable achievement. Thank you John.
Gary Spedaliere
Lakeville MN
Integrated Amplifier
- eXception Integrated Amplifier
Marihart Audio (click to expand review)
Nov 20,2013: Dave Sykes and I auditioned the eXception against a reference system using the Pass Labs XP-30 preamp, XA-100.5 monoblocks, and XP-15 Phonostage, with an Exemplar Audio 93 for CD’s. Wiring was Zu Audio’s best, and speakers were the Zu Definition Mark IV.
We listened to the Pass gear first, letting the eXception warm up, then put on the eXception. The results were quite surprising as we both felt that the Exemplar piece quite held its own against the Pass gear. On some cuts the bass was actually tighter than the Pass, highs were just as defined most of the time, occasionally there was a slight edge on the high brass and violin notes-but still well defined. Timbre accuracy and harmonics were generally exceptional-not indicative of an integrated costing 1/6 as much as the reference system. Both had superb depth and air, with a huge soundstage.
Remember, the eXception we had here was a beta test unit, not the production model which has higher resolution and a faster power supply. As a result, I ordered the eXception and should have it in a couple of weeks. It is by far a giant slayer-if you want world class sound at a budget price-this is it. I do recommend using it only on speakers with 90db sensitivity or better.
Nov 16, 2013 –
One problem all designers of high end gear face is that all (with few exceptions) capacitors induce some degree of phase shift in the signal. This is a major issue when caps are almost always used in the output stages of amplifiers. This issue has been almost never addressed to my knowledge in the industry (one of its dirty little secrets?). They have addressed how much latent energy is held by a cap (see C1 capacitor upgrades-Conrad Johnson), but little on phase shift.
This recently came to my attention through John Tucker of Exemplar because of capacitor phase shift research done in Japan. The end result was that all poly and teflon caps phase shifted except for one commercial cap made in France. Enter the Exemplar eXception integrated amp. A new design by John Tucker-it utilizes these caps and other proprietary technology developed here by John and in Japan to give one phase shift free sound.
I have been listening to it in my system for the last 3 hours-running through its paces-after giving it an all day warm up. I have never heard an amp that is as neutral, non-existent as this amp. There is only music-nothing else. Dynamic, warm, fluid, black background, timbre accurate, doesn’t begin to describe what I hear.
On Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man (Telarc) the cymbals are fluid yet one can clearly hear the shimmer and metal in the instrument, the brass sounds exactly like brass, the kettles’ skin and wood resonate clearly, all with lots of air and depth.
On Patricia Barber’s What a Shame (Café Blue) she is in the room, the wood in the stand-up bass giving the instrument shape and depth, the guitar’s attack forming in the air in front of me. And on and on.
Perhaps my heavily modified Cary SLI-80 may give it a run-but there is a speed that the eXception has that I know the Cary can’t quite match.
On to Info on this Amp: 50 W/ch both channels driven at 8 ohms, high current solid state outputs with tube preamp, remote, silver aluminum face with 6 inputs, can be custom modified on inputs, comes with mute, and cinema bypass.
Retail is $4950.
Marihart Audio
- eXception Integrated Amplifier
Kevin Meeks, client (click to expand review)
I was able to do a couple of hours of listening Friday night after setup. Right out of the box the Exemplar Integrated was simply amazing.
I have owned several nice pre-amps that includes the Parasound JC-2, First Sound MKIII, Coincident Line Stage and the Sanders pre-amp. All of the pre-amps were very top notch components but I have to say that the pre-amp section of the Exemplar Integrated is the very best. That is a big statement considering I only listened for 2 hours but it is true. Music is clean, pure and has a presence unlike any I have heard.
I was concerned about the Exemplar Integrated being only 50 watts but that after only a couple minutes of listening I knew this wasn’t an issue. Clean and incredibly powerful sound is all I heard.
The combination of the pre-amp and amps in this component is a match unlike any I have heard.
I can’t wait to see how good the Exemplar Integrated is after 200 hours of play.
Importantly, with a top notch front end feeding this component you would have to spend in the upper 30K to better it. That is no exaggeration!
There is no need for anyone to spend ten’s of thousands of dollars when an audio component like this one is available.
Highly recommended. I will be glad to discuss this unit with any of your potential customers.
Best Regards-
Kevin Meeks
“I have never heard an amp that is as neutral, non-existent as this amp. There is only music – nothing else.“
–Marihart Audio
Cables
eXemplar eXception Interconnects Stereo Times
Endorsement
- Winston Ma: First Impression Music
(click to expand endorsement)
Over the decades, I have continually pursued better equipment, just like any other passionate audiophile. However, I have an additional reason behind my search for better equipment, one not shared with other audiophiles: as the producer of FIM recordings, I need better sounding and more accurate equipment for my work. These components are my tools in gauging the tonality and balance of the sound spectrum of my recordings. Hence, the quality of the equipment I use has a direct bearing on the quality of my products.
About ten years ago, I had the good fortune of meeting John Tucker at an audio show. John was demonstrating his beloved horn speakers. I was pleasantly surprised as I listened to John’s presentation. Whether it was his speakers or his electronics, he impressed me as an all-around talent in audio design. At the end of the session, I invited him to come to my music room, and we grew to become good friends.
Audiophile listeners say that FIM recordings have been constantly improving. Among many other factors in this progression, I must admit that John has helped me a great deal in front end control, power amplification, digital considerations, and even with cables. I do not believe that I hold any biases regarding equipment, as I have for many years had the privilege of exposure to a broad range of equipment offered by my peers in the industry, at virtually every price level. And yet, again and again, I have concluded that John’s equipment is among the very best. In fact, I have occasionally tried a new component in my system, but each time I have gone back to John’s equipment.
John’s creations are modestly priced, but are often far better than their significantly more expensive competitors. John is a solid and very knowledgeable designer, and his products are honest and free of gimmicks. He continues to move forward, as the pace of his creativity results in a constant evolution of his designs. Consequently, I keep replacing his older designs with his new ones. Without exception, the sound quality of my system becomes better and more accurate each time I do so, enhancing my mastering work immensely. People say that FIM recordings have a signature sound: musical, dynamic, juicy and rich in harmonics…perhaps because these are the qualities of John’s creations.
I have never made a secret of the fact that I am using John’s super preamplifier, LSA power amplifiers – modified by him – and, of course, his DAC and CD player and several sets of his cables. John designs his equipment with an unparalleled blend of accuracy, passion, and creativity. I feel supremely confident and comfortable in my mastering work ever since I have become addicted to his chain of components!
I said that John and I have become friends, and that is because our thinking “clicks.” He is a big man with a warm heart; he takes care of the needs of his friends before his own. I have not found many people like him in this day and age.
John possesses an immense wealth of talented creativity in audio design.
Winston Ma – First Impression Music
“John’s creations are far better than their significantly more expensive competitors.”
–Winston Ma, First Impression Music