Avedis Audio MA5
A single-slot 500-series preamp that trades features for tone.
Overview
Seventy decibels of gain, an output level control, and a switchable 28kHz boost circuit. That's the whole feature list. The Avedis Audio MA5 is a Class A microphone preamp built for the 500-series format, and EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.58) reviewed it at a price of $775. The same review compared its sound to vintage Neve preamps: superb transparency, a silky top end, and what the reviewer called some of the most massive low end on kick drum of any pre tested.
The build quality gets consistent praise. EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.58) called it "extra-solid" and "elegant, sturdy, simple." The output level control is useful. You can push the input stage for character, then trim the output to keep your converter happy. That's more flexibility than many single-slot pres offer.
The 28kHz boost is the MA5's one unusual feature. It purports to add "air" or openness, and while 28kHz sits theoretically above the range of human hearing, the filtering extends into the audible range. EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.58) found it sometimes a nice addition on acoustic guitar, piano, and drum overheads. The review treated it as a tonal option, not a magic switch.
The limitations are real. There's no 1/4" DI input, so tracking bass or keyboards direct means pairing the MA5 with a separate direct box. There's no metering at all, so you're flying blind on level unless your interface or rack provides it. The MA5 occupies a single slot in a 500-series rack, but collectors note that a rack chassis is a separate purchase and not every 500-series enclosure is created equal. EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.58) suggested teaming it with a direct box for DI work and flagged the missing metering as a limitation, not a dealbreaker.
The review's list of good applications was broad: kick, overheads, vocals, bass guitar, and keyboards. Basically anything that doesn't need aggressive mids. The Class A topology is a big part of why it flatters sources rather than fights them. The 70dB of gain is enough for most dynamic and ribbon mics on loud sources, though the quietest ribbons on quiet sources will want all of it.
The MA5 shows up in real sessions, too. EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.4) listed it among the 500-series preamps covered in its Gearhead roundup, and Electronic Musician documented a vocal-tracking shootout where Alagia and Hanlon compared the Avedis MA5 against a Vintech unit before ultimately choosing a UAD 6176 for Rachael Yamagata's vocals. The MA5 didn't win that shootout, but it was in the room alongside established names.
Know what you're getting into. The 500-series format means you need a compatible rack, and the lack of metering means you'll want a rack or interface that gives you level feedback. The $775 original price, as reported by EQ Magazine (December 2008, p.58), puts it in the middle of the 500-series preamp market. It's not the cheapest and not the most expensive.
Is it for everyone? No. If you need a DI, if you need metering, if you need switchable impedance or a pad, look elsewhere. But if you want a single-slot Class A preamp with a Neve-adjacent voice, a useful output trim, and a genuinely unusual high-frequency option, the MA5 delivers exactly that. The review's verdict was that it's a solid, musical preamp with a distinctive character — and in a market crowded with competent-but-bland 500-series modules, distinctive counts for a lot.
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