Nothing can replace.....

.....hearing something yourself, live, especially in your own space....but if you want to get an idea of how a piece of gear could sound, we recommend these two sites:


http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/

http://www.studioauditions.com/


Before we decided what new pre's to get last year, we listened to a lot of different products, tried some, spoke to a lot of people and read reviews. In the end we went for something we had tried before (Summit Audio), and something new, based on reviews and talking to our mastering engineer (Neve). We've had great luck with both, and made good choices.

If you know what sound you want, checking out these two sites could at least get things narrowed down for you before you begin your search. And it's a darn fun way to kill a few hours!