The Galion P75 Tube Preamp Review. THIS is a RARE HiFi Gem.
By Steve Huff
For me, music is life and life is music. I am a guy who listens to music on a 2 channel system, in a dedicated room, just about every single day. I could never be without a high quality two channel listening system in my life. Heck, I have had one since I was 15 years of age and ever since that day I have been hooked on what music can do for my mental state, my stress levels and my happiness. This started at age 15 you ask? Yea, that was about 41 years ago now and here I sit, listening to music as I write this review. Yes, I am listening now to the very gear I am writing this review about, the newer Galion P75 preamp paired with the A75 amp.
This is also partly why I chose to move into doing audio reviews over camera reviews a few years back as audio has been in my life just as long as cameras and photography has. Photography has changed so much over the last 20 years and is not anything like it was 20 years ago. Today, the biggest selling camera is the one we all have in our pocket, the almighty powerful God we call the smart phone. It is what it is.
Some may say that audio has suffered the same fate, that most young people listen on cheap earbuds streaming lossy bluetooth fro low res files. This is partly true but I see positive signs for the audio industry as a whole, with more and more younger people getting into this fulfilling hobby each and every year. I see it as my “Job” to help bring some of these people in, to keep this fulfilling hobby alive. Yea, I love what I do here though I now do worse when it comes to finances but that’s ok as I love what I do. The good news for me is that I do not see money as the be all end all goal of my life. Peace, happiness and serenity are my life goals which is why I listen to so much music!
It is true though that audio and HiFi design hasn’t really changed so much over the last 50 years besides getting more expensive. Sure, we have new modern tech in speakers, amps and preamps and some are building these things as over the top as they can when it comes to design and bling but generally the tech in audio has hovered rather than all out surpassed what we had 40 years ago. There are exceptions of course but we still have amplifiers with tubes, transformers and big metal boxes. We still have vinyl records being pressed and there are tons of turntables to choose from if we do indeed choose to spin some vinyl. Some are even getting back into cassettes and yes, that’s crazy to me. Prices range from very affordable to stratosphere pricing so there is something for everyone here in the HiFi hobby. Overall though modern designs may look cooler, be built to a higher level and keep noise down better than the classics but they still have one job, to reproduce music in our home.
The Node Icon is a streamer and DAC that just works. It sounds awesome as well. My review is HERE. Tech in streaming has improved and this little box sounds as good to me as some big dollar exotic streamers I have heard as early as just a few years ago.
The way some of listen to music HAS changed.
While streaming has changed the way many listen to music these days owning a dedicated two channel stereo is something that I still value highly and yes indeed, a high end system can yield very high end sound with streaming. Today I no longer use a turntable or CD player but rather I subscribe to three streaming services and use them every day. Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify are all installed on my phone and tablet and this is what I go to when I sit for hours in my seat to listen.
I have had mega buck turntables here and even a mega buck CD transport but I just prefer today streaming and find it to be even more fulfilling because I never have to buy media to listen to music. It’s just there, any song I want in an instant, and I will argue in even better sound quality than a record or CD. So many of us within high end audio have moved to streaming and this is good, at least I see it as a good thing, especially for music discovery.
The Galion A75 and P75 with the O Audio Icon 12
Do I need TONS OF MONEY to build a System that sounds OUTTA THIS WORLD?
To this I can say “NO” as we have options that cost less yet sound amazing and some of them, while rare, are out there. It’s true that audio design hasn’t changed much in the grand scheme of things over the decades but it has gotten much more expensive to own some legendary brands like McIntosh, Luxman and others we all have known for decades. There are also many new brands that charge some pretty lofty prices, well, because they can. In audio it seems higher prices gives the illusion of “better” and while many high dollar mega brands do go over the top in design and build it is for me the sound that matters the most and sits at #1 for importance and where I want my money to go.
This statement is also very true...some companies just create products for the rich and with huge markups and profit margins. On the other hand, some companies like to create excellent gear that is born of passion more so than profit. Let’s face it though… it seems that getting into HiFi today, or getting a full system setup that will suck you in night after night will cost you a lot of money. But will it really? I am here to say that it can be much more affordable that you think if you look in the right places.
I am always looking out for huge performance and less cost as to me these are the products that are truly the special ones. Too inexpensive for the rich audiophiles to even look at it but for those in the know, a knock out bargain and a way to get higher end sound for much less. Yea, these products exist but are getting harder and harder to find.
I have tested exotic brands and have even spent tens of thousands of 💵 s to see what made them so special when I went all in on a fantasy brand for me, Nagra. At the end of the day it wasn’t much other than brand name and the use of exotic parts (which does change the sound) as well as unique design that separated them from others. Keep in mind that cost doesn’t always dictate sound quality appreciation. Heck, I enjoy what I am hearing now with the Galion pairing just as much as I did when I spent an insane amount of money.
I know a guy who recently spent $25k+ on a preamp with a matching amp and he hated it! I felt so bad for him but he was able to return it with a small restocking fee and went in a different, less pricey, direction. He said this fancy setup lacked soul and sounded like nothing he has heard before. I said “welcome to exotic high end audio”! Lol.
It sometimes seems that the higher you climb the audio $$ ladder, most of the time, there will be more transparency, more precise imaging and the sound will be a bit leaner than you may be used to. This has been my experience and while some are addicted to that type of sound, others like it old school with body, warmth and just a fine sprinkling of that magic from the high end exotic pieces. That is what I enjoy most, a mix of that high end sound with some of the body and soul that music should always have. I will state that some exotic electronic audio pieces do have body and soul as well as detail and that big 3D stage but these usually cost a fortune, to “get it all” so to speak.
Does this exist at all for those who do not have the mega funds to buy the mega pieces? Well….
Meet GALION Audio.
Galion Audio was created and is run by a guy who does audio reviews on YouTube named Thomas Tan. His life passion is audio and he decided a few years ago to create his own line of audio electronics and speakers. He even sells cables these days.
When Thomas launched his first product many gave him crap about it because some felt that “a reviewer shouldn’t sell his own line of audio gear”. I felt the opposite as a reviewer gets to hear a ton of gear and therefore knows what he or she likes or dislikes. For example, I get to hear so much new gear, in all price ranges, every year. Some of it I love and some I just like. A few pieces that get sent I send back because they either have an issue, a fault or I feel they are not worth the asking price compared to others I have used or tested. It’s rare that I “hate” a piece but sometimes that happens as well. Most audio gear I get in sounds lovely and is priced right but sometimes it’s a bit out there and not worth the cost, at all.
If I were to start creating my own electronics I would create gear that has the sound I love with a quality build focusing on sound quality above all else. I would do this while trying my best to keep costs down and profits reasonable vs outrageous.
This is what Thomas did with Galion and still seems to be doing as it’s all about the music here with this brand, at least from what I have seen and heard (from what I have reviewed from Galion). Each piece is born from the passion within Thomas as he offers gear that hits way above its price point and manages to stay affordable. From his tube integrated amps to his speakers to the “Giant Killer” A75 Power amp that is an incredible product at such a superb price. I have been revisiting the A75 power amp and it’s no wonder so many love this amp as it has a great price and the build and sound is exceptional and more like a $8-10k amp (It’s $1500). The design may be plain but the sound is indeed not. It’s a remarkable bargain in the crowded world of audio where it can be so hard to find “the one” you want to buy.
If a solid state stereo hifi amp is what you seek you can pick up an A75 and save thousands over competitors but you will not have lesser in sound, especially if you love warmth, body, some air and a lot of soul. I should know, I have tried them all. If this amp had some green meters, a glass face and LED lights on it and it was made in the USA it could come in at $10k+. Listening now to Low Roar’s “Gosia” and I am in disbelief how the sound is laid out in a 3D fashion with warmth, clarity and with vocals so pure with my Icon 12 reference speakers. Yea, this set can scale up to even very high end speakers.
The bottom line is that Thomas is creating some special very attainable products at Galion that I feel we will look back on in 10 years and realize just how great they were. There are future classics here in the A75 and the product that this review is all about, the P75. This pairing of the new tube preamp and the A75 offers such a complete HiFi experience that will not sink you into debt for life.
This is 100% true…I really would struggle finding a better setup for anywhere even close to the price of this setup, which is $1849 for the P75 Pre and $1499 for the Amp, or a grand total of $3348 for a powerhouse of a power amp and tube preamp. I do not think I could do it. Heck, let’s bump it up to a $20k price point and I believe the Galion setup could match others that sit within that price for sound. Some pricey brands may not like me saying this but it’s true and I know as I am hearing it now with my own ears.
I did hook the Galion up to my Pure Audio Project speakers as well and well, I was blown away again by what I heard. The Galion warmed these up and fattened up the bass without losing detail or depth.
You cannot get better for the price. PERIOD!
In no world can you spend $3348 and get better than this or even close to what this pair delivers in sound. It’s extraordinary but it does have a house sound that I recognize from Galion and guess what? The sound of Galion is the sound of me as it seems Thomas likes a similar sound as I do when it comes to music reproduction. That sound? Big, bold, dynamic, beefy, some warmth and body without a trace of being lean or sharp but also not a trace of softness or dullness. Softer details, a but of air and magic but mostly soul stirring music that reaches the brain in a way that soothes rather than agitates.
C’mon Steve, you love those expensive amps!
Yes indeed I do! In fact I have a $25k integrated amp here that is an all in one and sounds crazy insane good, is dead silent in all ways, is crazy powerful and has a world class streamer and DAC inside. It is even covered in real 23K Gold Leaf so it has bling as well. Heck, it should have all of this for the $25k retail cost it comes in at. Made in France, all custom design and parts made in house and it has all you need. Just add speakers. High end integrated tech at its finest and most advanced right here but not everyone has $20k to spend on an amp.
The Devialet Astra (review) is the absolute finest integrated all in one amplifier I have ever heard or tested. How does this piece do against the Galion setup that comes in at $3348? Well the Galion does compete here but just has a different flow, vibe and sound vs the hyper detail and wide open sound of the French Devialet. The Astra has a fast attack with explosive power that is more sharp than the Galion. The Astra also paints a larger more vivid 3D picture within the soundstage. I would expect it to, again, it is a $25k piece for the Opera de Paris version I have here or $20k for the standard bronze version.
With that said, I enjoy the Galion system quite a bit as it brings something that is quite different for over $21k less cash outlay.
Four inputs that are RCA single ended only. NO XLR but it’s not needed IMO. In fact I have always been an audio guy who preferred RCA vs XLR connections.
The A75 power amp from Galion is a fantastic amp as we know but with the new P75 preamp from Galion I have to state that this is a perfect pairing, and I mean perfect. The sound is also explosive, sounds so much m0re powerful than the A75 specs and brings some warmth and big body without sounding bloated, lazy or hazy. The P75 allows the A75 to be all it can be 100%.
If the sound of the $25k Astra is “Hyper Real” the Galion setup of P75 and A75 is “Real” as it sounds like real music vs a hyped up version of the music and man does it soothe the soul after a long days work.
The TSA75 Power Amp cannot be bested in its price range or even a bit above it, period.
Why would I compare the $3348 Galion setup to the $25k Astra? Because I can, and because I have both here so why not?
Exotic HiFi tries to wow us with soundstage imaging magic and some brands do this so well such as Devialet, Nagra, Luxman and others. I love this kind of over the top presentation as when I listen I sit and say “Wow, this is incredible” but I also love a more beefed up sound and some days I may switch to my tube setup which consists of a Modwright LS99 tube preamp and KWA99 mono amps. This setup injects the beef to the mids, fattens it up and brings more of a juicy sound vs a lightning quick leaner sound.
The ModWright LS99 Preamp is also quite delicious in sound and comes in at $6500 for a USA made piece.
I love the ModWright LS99 tube preamp (above). It is made in the USA and comes in at $6500 retail, new. The Galion P75 is made in China but sold and shipped from Canada which is where Galion is based. The P75 is also a tube preamp though in a larger all black casing vs the smaller LS99 but sells for $1849 or $4700 LESS!
The crazy thing is the P75 sounds almost as good as the LS99 and this is just with stock tubes on both. The LS99 brings out more depth and air in the treble and mids but the P75 sounds just as punchy and beefy in the mids and bass. So that $4700 buys you some extra treble extension, exposed tubes, a smaller chassis and a made in the USA label.
In the past I have tested preamps from Pass Labs (Nice), MICHI (Nice), McIntosh (Nice) and Nagra (Exotic) but honestly I was never bowled over by them for what they cost. They were nice, sure, but the cost seemed a bit over the top for the performance I was hearing with my own ears.
The Pass XP12 and XP22 were nice but they are low gain designs which means the volume dial has to go high to get decent volume and punch and at lower volumes the sound was a bit flatter than I liked. Also, the sound of these preamps were more on the leaner side with some juicy electric punch thrown in. Very detailed and with focus on just that.
The insanely expensive Nagra HD Pre (above) is also a low gain design but warmer and with less attack and punch vs Pass but with more beauty and glow. It too has to be pumped up to higher levels on the dial for your speakers to come alive. Some like this as low gain designs are low gain to avoid noise but I have also heard preamps that are not low gain and also have zero noise. The P75 is one of them.
The P75’s innards are impressive, especially for the price.
So… LET’S TEST THE P75 with stock tubes.
With three sets of speakers here for this review I started with the ones that were already setup in room and those were the fancy and beautiful Marten Parker DUO . These speakers are incredible in all ways and are the finest two way speakers I have ever heard. They almost sound as large and majestic as my big Icon 12’s from Norway yet are much smaller.
The Marten speakers are made in Switzerland so yea, they are also a high end brand. In reality these speakers are sort of overkill for the P75 in a financial aspect as they come in at around $20k with stands. Who would buy a $1800 pre to go with $20k speakers? Well, you could as the Galion set sounds lovely with the Marten speakers.
I also have and own the Icon 12 here from Norway’s O Audio which come in at $24k and are larger full sized speakers that truly have bonded with me. They are lifers. Some would say these outclass the Galion as well but here we are with the P75 and A75 doing justice to these high end speakers and is the combo I am listening to as I write these words.
I also have the Buchardt E50’s which are much more price appropriate for the Galion setup of P75 and A75 power amp. These are also fantastic for the cost of under $4k and are more in line price wise with the Galion setup here.
Sometimes when you hook up inferior electronics to higher end speakers you are “choking” your sound as the sound can only be as good as the weakest link. I normally would never spend $20k on a set of speakers only to power them with a $3400 setup in the electronics realm but I would if I found something that worked well. Can the Galion scale up to these high end speakers and deliver sound that they are capable of? That is what I wanted to find out! Oh, the P75 ships with tubes installed and ready to go as well as an all metal solid chunk of a remote. This remote bests 90% of remotes I see with HIGH END gear!
The Marten Parker Duo are up First. Can the P75 do justice with high end speakers?
I have been enjoying the heck out of these fancy speakers but they have to go back very soon. I do not own them, they were sent to me for review and are sort of a “loaner” to live with for a while and talk about. With the Devialet Astra heading the show I was always in a constant state of wow as the Parkers can be explosive and with a much bigger and heftier sound than you think. The Astra is all about transparency, dynamics and throwing a big wide 3D soundstage yet it also has some warmth and humanity sprinkled in to keep it all organic. The mids are not “beefy” with the Astra but instead very very clean, transparent and punchy with amazing detail retrieval that has a smooth flow.
So with the Parker Duo the Astra is incredible but that comes with an incredibly high price.
I then removed the Devialet Astra and placed in the Galion A75 and P75 pairing along with a Node ICON for streaming and DAC duties. I set them up with my fave budget RCA cables (See them HERE) and my tried and true Nordost OG Valhalla speaker cables that are 14 years old now. The Node Icon is fantastic and I chose it as the streamer and DAC to keep on hand for review purposes but I also use it for personal listening as well when I need a streamer and DAC. It just works, no muss and no fuss. It’s also not blingy so meshes well with the Galion pieces. The Icon shows how far these affordable one box streaming DACs have cone as well, which is the area I feel HiFi is still improving but are now starting get close to max performance.
With the pre-amp and amp now changed from the Exotic Astra to the Galion the sound indeed changed and it was immediately noticeable. Going from the streamer, DAC and amp inside of the Devialet to the Node Icon and Galion I heard less of a 3D stage, less of that precise imaging… but damn, the sound was glorious and a touch more musical and visceral with slightly more body and smoothness to the sound.
The Galion setup sounded powerful, bold, dynamic and brought some heavy thunderous bass vibes as well. While I lost some of the delicacy in the highs I gained some meat and warmth in the mids which made the Parker Duo sound like even larger speakers. I did not notice the lesser power output of the A75 vs the Astra, not at all.
The Galion P75 preamp with the A75 amplifier was super quiet without noise and sounded so much bigger, better and powerful than the $3400 price tag (for the pair) would dictate. I will say with my head to the Galion A75 chassis I did hear a slight hum from the transformer but did not hear it at my listening seat. There was zero noise from the speakers.
I was enjoying listening to live performances such as those from Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and even KISS. The Galion duo did not disappoint me in any way. As I listened into week two I was continually impressed with the Galion and the phrase that kept hitting my head was “powerful, forceful, sweet and dynamic”. Proof yet again that big money is not needed for great sound but rather synergy seems most important. The P75 and A75 have a wonderful synergy and I believe it allows the A75 to be the best it can be as they were meant to be together.
Overall the $20k Marten speakers were sounding insanely good with the under $5k front end of pre, amp and streamer/DAC. Did the $25k Astra sound better to me? Yes, but to get this “better” will cost $20k extra and this “better” came in the form of a more liquid flow, a more open sound and a more 3D soundstage. Even so, the Galion had some of these traits as well so we get a nice balance. The Galion also had more thunderous bass.
The Icon 12
Moving out the Marten speakers I moved in my Spirit Speaker (you know, instead of a spirit animal) the Icon 12 fro O Audio in Norway which have an even bigger more organic luscious sound vs the Parker along a more subdued and sweeter treble. Oh and yea, sweeter mids were pushing out as well. These speakers sound so damn good but different from the Marten Parker Duo and I do prefer my Icon 12 (beautiful soul stirring organic) to the Marten speakers but some would prefer the Parker (all out detail and sharper). I like to think that the Icon 12 have a soul inside of their boxes as they feel like a living breathing entity when playing music within a well matched system and space. That is the best compliment I can give them.
With the Galion in place to the Icon 12 the findings are similar to what I found with the Marten speakers. The Icon 12 sound drop dead gorgeous and fabulous with the Galion setup but even better than the Marten speakers did. Here with the $24k Icon 12 the Galion SHINED and sounded even more 3D, more open than they did with the Marten boxes yet retained that warmth that brought out the magic for me with the Icon 12.
The Galion powered the high end Icon 12 without breaking a sweat and sounded simply exceptional. My fave speaker ever is still my fave speaker ever. These will never leave me and here was a lower priced setup in the electronics delivering magic with them. This means some out there could spend most of their budget on the Icon 12 and spend less on the electronics without much, if any, compromise at all. The Icon 12, The Galion P75 and A75, the Node Icon and some $30 interconnects that also hit well above their price point would make for an end game streaming system.
Listening to a track called “In The Air Tonight” by Sons of Legion was revelatory and showed me just how good the Galion pairing was. I wasn’t expecting so much 3D here with the Galion set but with the Icon 12 the P75 seems to do this with ease. You can hear this track in my Spotify and Tidal playlist HERE.
The sound was gorgeous. Vocals were hovering between speakers in the middle, sort of set back a bit. The instruments all had heft and body, but still had energy and bite with dynamics that hit hard. When it all comes to a head the sound never gets muddled or jumbled. Just big, bold and sound that amazed me, and not just due to the low cost of this system. It wowed me for what it sounded like, regardless of the price of entry.
These two pieces are a serious challenger to even higher end preamps and amps and while the sound was not as spatial as with the Astra, the Galion system far outclassed its cost.
The Buchardt E50
I have the E50’s here and have had them here since a month before they launched. They are long term loaners from Buchardt and I was very happy to hear these hooked up to the P75 and A75. I will say that the Devilaet Astra with the E50’s brought forth a sort of small mismatch as the bass was weaker for some reason with the Astra. This made the E50’s sound open and clean but they were lacking body and groove. I placed these in with the P75 and A75 and was again, blown away by what this under $4k set was bringing to the table.
The E50’s fattened up and still retained most of the clean and fast sound but had a little more musical life within them. These are under $4k and more in line with what the Galion cost and in fact make for a super match. This is a full system that can be had for well under $10k and sounds super fantastic. This is the best I have heard the E50’s next to the $13k Luxman 509Z which just brought a little more spice, energy and clarity into the mix. A little more excitement, which is what these high end pieces usually do. It’s like a 24MP camera (The P75) vs a 48MP camera (Luxman) vs a 60MP camera (Astra). Not to see the P75 and A75 brought lower resolution, it just brought more smoothness and warmth and the details were not the all out focus here.
The Galion was painting a musical picture that was super balanced from top to bottom. Again, for what this setup cost I cannot even think of any other amp and preamp, whether it is integrated or separates, that can compete with this paring. It really depends on the kind of sound you like. If you want the most transparency, the most information being exposed and the most holographic soundstage these things will cost you dearly and can be found in an amp like the Devilaet Astra, Luxman 509Z or many other higher end pieces.
If you just want awesome sounding music that brings thrills, feels and chills the Galion setup is truly a winner and yes it does throw a 3D soundstage if your speakers are up to it. The Icon 12 sound very holographic with the Galion pairing yet retain warmth and body, which is pretty awesome.
VS THE USA MODWRIGHT STACK
What about the P75 compared to the LS99 tube preamp from Modwright, which is another small company based in the USA. The LS99 is a $6500 preamp so it’s quite a bit more expensive vs the Galion. I will say that I enjoy them both. I do like the style, big dials and exposed tubes of the LS99 more but I also like the understated more conservative design of the P75. Looks are personal preference and I have grown to appreciate the black boxes called the A75 and P75 that go with the no flash approach.
Even so, the LS99 will bring just a tad more treble sparkle and spatial information when going into the A75 vs the P75 but I think the P75 sounds overly better with the A75. It’s that synergy thing again. The mids will be ever so slightly leaner with the LS99, exposing more of those hidden details within the music. The P75 brings more warmth and is a bit more subdued in the treble energy but make no mistake, both of these preamps sound gorgeous with the smooth award going to the P75. These differences could come down to the tubes one uses as well as tube rolling could bring changes to the treble, bass and the mids. Upgrade to some killer NOS tubes and you may find the P75 sounds more like a $10k preamp.
I have not yet tube rolled as I wanted to burn it in and use it as stock as not everyone wants to mess with tube swaps. In stock form the P75 is lovely but my guess is that if you want more open detail, tubes will bring that for you. If you want more warmth and body/flow, the stock tubes are fantastic. I also tried the P75 going into the ModWright KWA99 mono amps which are biased into Class A for the first 15-20 watts. These are gorgeous mono amps but come in at $9k retail for a new set. The KWA99 with LS99 is almost a $16k investment vs the under $4k price of the Galion. The ModWright stack is a bit more refined in sound but this is what the extra $12k will get you, a little more refinement with more treble sparkle and detail retrieval.
That’s how audio is my friends. This crazy hobby. Even those pieces in the Exotic realm like Nagra who charges $100k for a preamp will just bring more refinement and a touch more of that magic. These differences are pretty small when looking at the big picture. The important thing is what brings you the most enjoyment for your investment. I can say that you can get a mighty good portion of a more pricey high end sound with Galion and that goes for all of their products. They all seem to just give us more than the others that sit within the same price bracket.
Is the P75 a Giant Killer?
I will say that the P75 is really a masterpiece from Thomas as the cost is so reasonable yet the performance is very very high in all areas. Workmanship is good and without any flaws that I can see. Design is sort of plain and boring but that is what it is. Some like a more plain look with their audio gear and this one is a black box with blue lights, a few buttons, a remote control and a volume knob. Nothing complex or fancy here, just a great build with insanely great sound and finesse. Nothing ragged or cheap sounding here at all as the P75 is a bonafide top tier preamp. Yes, I would call it a “Giant Killer” and you can buy one without having the guilt or remorse of a high dollar preamp.
The lovely Icon 12 being powered by the Galion setup.
Conclusion.
Do we need to spend more than what the Galion P75 costs to get an amazing preamp? No but we can get different if we spend more. I had the Nagra HD setup here for a few months (that I bought and paid for) and it was insanely good but with a $200k retail cost. Ouch. I enjoy the under $4500 Galion/Node setup just as much with my Icon 12 when it comes to sound. Double Ouch.
Can the Galion P75 sound as good as a preamp that cost much more? Yes it can if you prefer body and warmth over wide open all out transparency.
Does the P75 do well with the A75 amp? Oh Yes. They make for a perfect pairing and synergy. 100% recommend them as a set.
How much would I have to spend to get better than the P75 and A75 combo? That depends on what kind of sound you seek but could be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars more.
Does it get better? Yes, but “better” depends on what you like. You can find better in design, build and function but sound will be personal to you and your ears. We sometimes see on audio forums where audio lovers make claims such as “Amp A wiped the floor with Amp B” and claims of huge improvements. I never hear these “huge” improvements but instead hear “changes” in how a piece portrays the music.
The rear of the P75 is simple and clean. Four inputs, two outputs, a ground switch, trigger jack and a power switch.
This is such a truly great setup and the P75 and A75 are a synergistic match that delivers muscle, thrilling dynamics, powerful sound and quality bass that is never lean or too much. This is also a very musical setup and while it doesn’t bring the “all out” holographic stage and detail retrieval of some of the exotic brands, it can bring a nice dose of this as well.
Whether I was listening to jazz, classical, chamber, rock, metal, EDM or whatever, the Galion pairing of P75 and A75 delivered big time. I didn’t worry about my reference gear, I just enjoyed the music for weeks with the Galion setup. The P75 also did very well with my ModWright KWA 99 Mono amps and while it was a natural mate to the A75 it can scale up to even more pricier amps if you want to go down that road.
I am sure Thomas will one day release a “higher end” amp and preamp but this right here is a crazy deal… a no brainer… a setup that will sound 80-90% as good as some much more expensive setups. For the price you “Can’t Touch This” setup, no way no how. This is why the P75 and the A75 are so special as they are much better than their price will dictate. Thomas spent a lot of time on prototypes and using various parts until he got to what sounded best and it’s good that he did as the final result is impressive to say the least. The P75 is an instant classic and one day when it costs more than it does some will regret not snagging one when it was so affordable to do so.
If you have been itching to upgrade to separates and do not want to bust the bank account open or go into big time debt yet you still want amazing high end HiFi sound, do check out the P75 and A75 from Galion as this setup truly delivers the goods. The title of this review states that this Galion P75 is a rare find and I will say it truly is. At the time of this writing the P75 is out of stock until the end of August 2025 but I feel these will sell out quickly yet again as it is one of the best buys in all of audio as of right now. I will most likely buy this review unit myself as t’s too good to pass on. Highly recommended.
