RRP: $399.99 at Amazon.com

This is Logic 3’s first attempt at tube audio as far as I know and the results are mixed to say the least. You would be forgiven for confusing the Logic 3 Valve 80 with a Fatman iTube amp reviewed elsewhere on this site, given the stylistic similarities between the two. The lack of original styling is not necessarily a problem however, given that the iTubes look great and so does the Logic 3 Valve 80. The amp is housed in a stainless steel chassis which is clearly well built. Along the deck of the amp we find a transformer housed in black to the left, an iPod dock to the right, and a complement of tube at centre stage. The tubes are protected with a triangular retro tube protector that looks like it belongs in a 50’s diner. Along the front panel, we find a volume and source control, with the understated company logo engraved to the left. To the rear we find gold plated speaker terminals capable of taking either banana plugs or a simple wire connection. There are two auxiliary inputs with which to connect other hi-fi components and both an S-video and composite video out so that you can connect your video-enabled iPod to a tv or monitor. The supplied remote control will allow you to control your iPod from afar although, given the size of the iPod screen, this can be easier said than done. The unit also comes packaged with two bookshelf speakers which, while making the whole setup convenient for those that do not want to worry about separate speakers, might put off those who have already invested in the same.

In order to test the unit, we set her up and popped our iPod into the dock. Initial impressions were that the amp is decent if not earth-shatteringly good. Mids and vocals benefit from the tube set-up but highs can come across a bit peaky and the bass lacks, well, some bass to be honest. It certainly did improve the otherwise harsh iPod source signal, but when you are looking at $399.99 for the whole setup, we expect something more. In order to see if the amp faired any better with a decent pair of speakers we hooked up a pair of Diamond 9.1’s and while this improved the performance somewhat, the highs still came across a bit aggressive and the low end still lacked a bit of bite. We made the comparison between the Logic 3 Valve 80 and the iTube series earlier and when the chips are down, the iTube comes out on top. With the iTube you can choose to go with the Fatman speakers or choose your own pair whereas with the Logic 3 Valve 80, you are stuck with the included speakers which do not bring the best out of the amp. However, even when connected to a decent pair of speakers, the Logic 3 Valve 80 lacks the wow factor that the iTube brings to the table. In conclusion then, not bad for a first attempt in the iPod/tube amp market, but in a market with such strong competition, this time sadly, not bad is not good enough.

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