Tierra Audio Lava vs. Calima Preamp: preamplifiers compared

In today's article we are going to hear the difference between the Lava Preamp and the Calima Preamp from Tierra Audio. We have already made videos on the Calima Preamp and the Lava Preamp, in which we talked in detail about each of the two preamps. So if you are interested in learning more, I refer you to the videos we have already made: look for them on our YouTube channel.

Today we are going to talk about the difference between these two preamplifiers, both in concept of construction, but most importantly in sound.

Main differences between Tierra Audio Lava and Calima Preamp.

The main difference that jumps out at you upon seeing the two machines is definitely the difference in the two preamplifiers. The Lava Preamp starts at 15 decibels, while the Calima Preampstarts at 28 decibels, so be careful what microphones and sound sources you are going to preamp, because each will start with a slightly more noticeable step than the other.

Another difference that stands out is definitely that on the Lava Preamp we also havehigh impedanceavailable as far as the microphone is concerned. So we have two types of impedances that we can select depending on the microphone that we are using.

Another difference is the output potentiometer: in fact, as far as the Calima Preamp is concerned, we will have a potentiometer that acts as if it were a fader, from -10 decibels to +5 decibels, while as far as the potentiometer of the Lava Preamp is concerned, it acts as if it were a trim, so from 0 up to 10.

Both preamps have four transformers; the difference is that the Lava Preamp has somewhat larger transformers, while the Calima Preamp has somewhat smaller transformers. This difference makes the Lava Preamp definitely more apt to color the signal, for a bit more creative use than the Calima Preamp.

Tierra Audio Lava and Calima Preamp: preamplifiers compared

When listening, both preamps sound outstanding, certainly very similar. However, the Lava Preamp givesa little more character in the low frequencies, sounding a little rounder and smoother, and it starts to give that somewhat crackling character in the high frequencies.

Certainly these are differences that are not very pronounced, but when we go to pull the pota lot , the Lava Preamp is a little bit more ready to play artistically.

The Calima Preampis very transparent, so anything you play with the preamp, either Calima or Lava, will sound really manic. The Lava Preamp feels a little bigger, but those are still small things.

If you are interested in purchasing the Lava Preamp and the Calima Preamp from Tierra Audio, you can order them directly from the Milk Audio Store website. If, on the other hand, you would like to hear any kind of pro audio hardware in person, I invite you to visit the Milk Audio Store showroom and physical store.