Gato Audio PRD-3 S Preamplifier

What they say ...

​

   "Savoureux Gato"

Gato ... an 'onomatopeia' for the French word 'Gateaux' ... or 'Cake' in English ... which transliterates to "Delectable, Delicious Cake"

​

"The Danish Gato Audio electronics stand out from the competition by the originality of their aesthetics and of their circuit design"

 

DOMINIQUE MAFRAND - Haute Fidélité

​

 

The standard of Gato manufacturing prowess is of a very high level. The materials used, and the internal assembly quality invite comparison to the most beautiful current competing achievements. All passive components are very carefully selected, in both objective as well as subjective terms.
 

​

 The Sound

Bass

The Gato PRD-3S and PWR-222 ensemble offers us an ample, powerful ad vigorous bass that conveys a sense of comfort in contours and in the timbre of the spectrum. The body is organic - a bit like tubes - but with noticeably firmer control. On the track “Use me” (Companion by Patricia Barber), the strings of the double bass resonate with a mixture of physical tension and agile elasticity, creating a sense of realism of the instrument that firmly occupies the stage.
 

Midrange

Each track played with the Gatos gives a sense of pleasure that is surprisingly different from that portrayed by a other powerful and balanced Class AB amplifiers, which is in fact the output class output of the PWR-222. We are experiencing here a sound that is more close associated to a sound specific to Class A ... in terms of the beauty of timbres, of the legato and of presence. We initially were expecting an essentially precise, analytical and academic listening experience, worthy of best of class AB. What we actually got, was all of the anticipated Class AB qualities, plus a more 'embodied', more carnal, more textured presentation. The voice of the soprano Simone Kermes on “Ha Vinto Amor” by composer Antonio Caldera seems to develop a harmonic texture closer to that of a real voice, and the notion of 'presence' takes on a dimension that will be very familiar to enthusiasts of triode tube amps . The emotion transmitted by the artist is really intense.

​
 

Treble

The extension of the Gato in the higher frequencies (like in the lower ones elsewhere) only calls for compliments. The Danish duo goes very high with a
'haute couture-like' silky-ness, and a particularly insightful analysis and rendition of harmonics. The Gatos "sing" this sound spectrum with complete ease, and with absolutely no trace of immaturity, aggressiveness or other dullness, traits often frequented (and in the long run, tiring) with output Mosfets in class AB. The treble 'fuses' with the midrange superbly, creating a musical message that really gives the impression of a seamless procession of uninterrupted notes.
 

​

Dynamics

Reading the technical specifications will probably comfort the potential buyer - the figures announced in particular in terms of power, bandwidth and distortion amounting to quite stunning values. But we know very well that the figures don't explain everything. They don't reflect that the visible and objective part of a iceberg -- whose real face, the subjective one to which the music lover will have to face during tapping -- is none other than its hidden part. The Gatos therefore risk destabilizing (pleasantly in this case) the listener because -- the watts, as many as they are -- never give the impression of "being in your face", or rather to overtly impress the ears. But caution is called for (especially for the speakers), because the watts are at the rendezvous, and they unfold according to listening level ... and to the modular palette of each partition. To illustrate what I mean : The introduction to “Say it” by Baz-Baz, which is representative of the 'atomic bombing' genre, or that of "Ha Vinto Amor" where the much more refined harpsichord scatters some of the most delicate notes, poses no 'interpretive' problem to the Gatos whose chameleon-like restitution adapt to each of these very different recordings. The dynamic range they offer seems limitless.
 

​

Transients - Leading Edge

These Danish electronics express themselves with a lot of flexibility, with an advanced sense of the harmonic exploration of each note, from its birth to its extinction. On the other hand, they do not seek to defy the 'timing clock' by imposing more attacks and dazzling transients than those that were actually recorded. And we need not even bring up the topic of 'slowness', because they know how to perfectly respect timing and pace, and they simply follow the rhythm of the music score as closely as possible without attempting to anticipate it. Mark Walker's drum solo on “Company” (CD Modern Cool by Patricia Barber) retains all the momentum and all the ardor that he is known for, and presents extremely fleshed out brass tonal acrobatics, blending variances in intensity and harmonics. Certainly, the 'decays' are not quite as good as those with triode tubes, but the Gatos are indisputably well ahead in this regard when compared to many of their top-tier transistor amp brethren.
 

​

Soundstage

The particularly rich harmonic palette that the Gato offers us 'highlights' a scene with pretty incredible amounts of detail ... one that presents the listener with an image of quite striking relief. The spatialization and geometric perspective of each performance are very close to one that we know, and enjoy listening to, with an excellent tube amplifier. The very clear focus on the different sound sources, and the very precise contours that emerge, infuse an impression of 'presence' ... the impression of "being there" that everyone tries to achieve for their own system. The stereo image deploys with great stability, and does not hesitate to go beyond the framework of the speakers if the recording dictates.
 

 

Transparency

This Gato pairing reduces the distance between real sound and reproduced sound. We appreciated the Gatos neutrality of restitution that provided a clear contrast to the diametrically opposite and more demonstrative performances of the vast majority of modern transistor components that are in fact colder than than they are actually transparent . Our "special mention" goes to the "tubesque" accents conveyed by the amazing PWR-222 monoblocks. Their bewitching sound alchemy produces a fascinating compromise between limitless energy and serene fluidity.
 

 

Value for Money

Firstly, the devices are very well made, and we invariably enjoy listening to them together with system chain components of the same quality.

Second, the PRD-3S preamplifier is very well designed and offers very satisfactory connectivity and  sound performance. As such, it unquestionably  has its place in a high level system. The third point concerns the PWR-222 monoblocks with their very original design and best-in-class sonic performance. Their power will suit 99% of the speakers on the market, and their musicality will touch any audiophile who is also a "mélomane" ... [ the French term for "music lover" ]. Finally, this Pre-Monoblock set is not cheap, but we feel compelled to stress that we have already heard numerous sets that are significantly less good ... and that are much more expensive.

​

​

VERDICT

It is always hard to conclude a review of a component in this price category, or in this case a 'component set' -- the Gatos -- without 'serving up' the usual clichés and banal platitudes ... such as : 

"These are exceptional devices” ... or ... “they place themselves from the outset at the top of the hierarchy”

And yet, such statements are nevertheless true for this Danish Duo that furthermore indulges itself with a certain sound authenticity ... a quality not always 'at the rendezvous' with the competition.

 

A brand, and two electronic components that absolutely deserve

to be in the Spotlight !

 

​