Herron VTPH-2A, Herron VTSP-360 and Herron M2

I have heard them though not the VTSP-360 in my system.  It was in a system I'm very familiar with playing known recordings. 

I heard a pair M2 some time back and they were a step up from the M1.  I am still using M1s in my system.  For now.  I am considering upgrading to M2s, but that is in the future.  Prior to the M1s, I owned a pair of Herron Audio M-150s.

The VTPH-2A provides a nice improvement in detail and precision.  Sounds closer to "you are there" rather than improving a good recording.  I have been using a VTPH-2A long enough to hear its performance on a large enough sample of recordings to make that comment.  My VTPH-2A was upgraded from Herron's earlier VTPH-2.  Prior to that, I owned a Herron VTPH-1.

As good as the VTSP-3A (R03) is, and I have owned a VTSP-3A (R03) since my earlier VTSP-3A was upgraded to that release level, the VTSP-360 is just at the next level.  So clean and well-balanced.  Very musical, very engaging.  I have heard nothing as good (but I haven't heard everything).  The sound stage and imaging are in a league by themselves..  Individual performances is a large orchestra are better defined and isolated as part of the section, but integrate beautifully in the performance.  Dynamics large and small along with dynamic contrasts are sharp, tight and well-integrated with the musical instrument from which they emerge.  I just get lost in the performance rather than listen to the sound.  It is as close to live as anything I've heard.  The -360 is the only preamp I have ever heard that betters the VTSP-3A (R03). 

Prior to owning the VPSP-3A, I owned an early version of the VTSP-1.

But all this is just my opinion listening to my system and to a system / setup I consider to be quite good. 

Disclosure:  I am NOT Keith Herron.  I am NOT an employee, spokesman or legal representative of Herron Audio.  I am NOT a paid actor.  I personally know Keith Herron, as do many of his customers and have been using his electronics since they were first introduced.  My system is built around Herron Audio electronics because I have heard nothing that outperforms his equipment, I have not encountered better customer service in the industry.

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Thanks so much for your response. I have the latest prior versions of these products and am considering upgrading them to current. Terrific products and a terrific guy in Keith Herron.

Anybody have any idea how the herron VTSP-3A R03 or newest version of the preamp stacks up against today's top flight preamps like the audio research ref6 or the levinson 52 , ayre kxr twenty or luxman c900u?

I own the the VTSP-3A  and the new M2's and have to say it is underwhelming at best. To try and improve it I replaced all the power cords with Audio Sensibility Statement and it helped but still, meh.

Two days ago I hooked up my NAD M2 which has been sitting unused for the last six months and I am wowed by the sound. I am going to listen to this setup for two weeks then go back to the Herron and see if what I am hearing is truly better. The NAD was half the cost of the Herron set up.

Now it is possible that the DAC portion in the NAD M2 is better than the Metrum Octave Mk II DAC I use with the Herron gear. The source is an Aurender N100. The DAC may be the weak link but I am not so inclined to purchase a new DAC to see if the Herron starts to shine.

I wish I was hearing what you guys are hearing.

I received my updated M2 power amps, now at M2A spec, my VTSP-360 to replace my VTSP-3A(r03) and my updated VTPH-2A. While I do not believe that I have given them a full chance to break in, I am extremely pleased with the sound. The entire set is dead quiet. Compared to the gear prior to its replacement and modification, the Herron stuff now seems a bit extended in the bass and the overall focus is a bit more oriented toward the lower midrange and upper bass rather than a bit leaner sound that this provided, before. The M2As have an FET front end and that may account for much of the difference, though I understand that the VTSP-360 has much better bass and weight than the predecessor VTSP-3A(r03). While I would not mistake the overall sound for tubes, it is a bit more tube-like sound than previously.

While my experience differs strongly from Blakcloud’s, his impressions represent his own personal take and are as valid as anyone’s, including mine. With stereo systems, everything matters, including one’s personal taste. For instance, I love Koetsu cartridges but others find them a bit lush and romantic, preferring the sound of Lyra cartridges that I find a bit hard. To each his or her own. Meanwhile, the challenge is to assemble a combination of components and cabling that appeals to you. In my case, the Herron stuff provides a sound that I really enjoy.