Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	David Reichley
Experience	25
Email	dreichley@nyc.rr.com
Review date	November 03 2001
Manufacturer	Sadowsky
Model	RSD-1 Headphone/Preamp
Price	$350
Item owned for	1-6 months

Dimensions	7 5/8" wide x 5" deep x 1 3/4" high
Weight	approximately 5 lbs.
EQ	treble, bass (boost only), volume
Other	2 headphone inputs, 2 line inputs (for CD/cassette player, drum machin
	e, etc.); DI w/pre/post EQ;

Initially, I was looking for a headphone practice amp, but I couldn't take those little plastic headphone amps (you know which ones I mean). My research brought me to the atttention of 2 professional-grade headphone amps, the Sadowsky and one built by Raven (Steve Rabe's company, of SWR fame). To be honest, both units looked pretty nice on paper, and the Raven was less expensive, but I started to ask myself why, after living and playing bass in NYC for 20+ years, I had not yet come into contact with the Sadowsky preamp that everyone always made such a fuss about (Roger Sadowsky's shop is also in NYC) -- because this unit really has 2 functions: as a headphone practice amp, and as an outboard preamp/DI. I bought the Sadowsky with the assumption that the line inputs would be fine for hooking up a CD player in order to play along, and so would have completed my main objective, which was to have a unit where I could practice anywhere. If the preamp was to my liking, I almost considered that a bonus. I called the Sadowsky shop and talked with Roger on the phone a bit. The only real question I had concerned his decision not to provide any midrange EQ, and he went into considerable detail about why the design ended up the way it did. (I later checked out the Sadowsky site, where there is an interview with Roger and where he explains the design of the original preamp, which is exactly the same circuitry in the RSD-1 - check out the site.) One thing I remember him saying, basically was that my bass (any bass) would simply "sound better". That's a pretty heavy statement.

Well, he's 100% right! The preamp gives me what I have been missing all these years from the sound I heard in my head. It's a very simple design but actually very flexible. Setting the bass & treble in different configurations affect the midrange (naturally). So when you want more bass, increasing both bass and treble attentuates the mids, and what you get is real deep, clear bass, not boom. If, as a result, the highs are too clacky, you can always adjust it at your amp. And if you're recording, the highs are better left going to tape anyway (where they can be rolled off), rather than trying to add highs later. By the way, it's a wonderful preamp to record through, either pre-or post-EQ.

So know I see what all the fuss is about! The Sadowsky preamp: so simple, so right. And the RSD-1 is a very versatile unit (CDs sound good through it too, by the way). I only wish I had checked out the preamp 10 years ago.

Construction	90%
(I only wish it was made in the USA (nothing against Korea).)
Clarity	100%
(bass without the boom)
Versatility	100%
(it's really 3 devices in one)
Customer Service	100%
(Roger sounds like a pretty nice guy, and very helpful.)
Value	100%
Overall	100%