Wow. I'm surprised! They sound really similar to me! I think the majority of casual listeners would be hard pressed to tell a difference.
Listening to Jimmy Stewart from the Orange Peel on Audio-Technica ATH-M50s headphones:
1. The Sonosax source sounds like the low end is just a hair tighter (not by much).
2. The USB Pre source sounds like it is a tiny bit more edgy overall and has a tiny bit more "air" in everything above the extreme low end.
To be honest I think I might even be tricking myself into hearing these minor differences. Knowing they are different preamps I know there has to be a difference but it's really not at all very pronounced to my ears. Having heard this I would definitely never pay the premium for the Sonosax unless I absolutely had to have the slightly smaller size. Sonically, there is not a $1000+ advantage.
I've sat and played with one before and I found there are two traits of a sax, the low end can have a little extra punch depending on the note/force it's played and the top end becomes hazy/gooey. I did some samples (not using mics, but played from CDs) and could pick apart differences but it wasn't crazy different like some pre-amps are and took a fair amount of listening and hunting to find passages that I could isolate differences of. There is a certain harmonic distortion that it imparts, but it's subtle and I can pick out tracks that sound nice, but I can't ever put my finger on that aspect. I had it set to the approximate mic-gain I'd need in the field, and was pushing the headroom when I was playing with it (to just under the +20dbu limit), but it gave me an interesting take on the differences and there definitely can be some. I once asked someone here how they described it, and one thing they mentioned was that at the end of the day, it's a
rather transparent amp all things considered, and I'm inclined to agree with that based on both this test, and my own against an SD box (assuming the SD boxes are transparent ones, a designation I'm willing to make). Another person mentioned how it adds a little punch around 80hz or lower and some "shitty on top." I've heard it both ways. When it's one versus the other and what prompts that is still a mystery to me.
btw brian; the 19th sounds
really good, nice room. Strong work.