Wells Audio Commander II
The Commander II pairs an exceptionally low noise floor with vivid immediacy, harmonic weight and explosive dynamics. SoundStage Solo heard holographic, precisely layered imaging and extension without glare, while Positive Feedback admired its textured, artifact-light musical flow. Flexible analog connectivity and a revealing yet immersive character make this tube line stage a formidable high-end control center.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Connectivity
90/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Exceptionally quiet, resolving presentation with effortless clarity and minimal audible artifacts.
Vivid, live-feeling dynamics with strong macro- and microdynamic expression.
Superb three-dimensional soundstaging, layering and precisely placed images.
Versatile control center with RCA and XLR connections, tape loop, home-theater bypass, polarity control and remote operation.
Cons
Its warmer, weightier presentation can trade a measure of source-direct spatial detail and soundstage depth for greater presence.
Acrylic casework and button-based volume adjustment feel less premium and less immediately usable than a conventional volume knob at this price.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers describe an unusually quiet, resolving tube line stage that combines high clarity and dynamic authority with a richly textured, musically involving presentation. Its strengths are especially evident in low-level information, scale, tonal density, and dimensional image placement, although one reviewer preferred the unassisted source's ultimate spatial detail and depth.
Transparency Resolution
95/100
The Commander II is repeatedly praised for exceptionally low noise and abundant musical information. One reviewer called it the quietest tube preamplifier they had heard, while another heard immediacy and resolution comparable to a formative experience with a truly resolving preamp; a Positive Feedback comparison noted some loss of spatial detail versus a dCS Rossini alone.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
Reviewers consistently found the presentation organic, smooth, textured, and alive rather than blandly neutral. It adds welcome warmth, tonal weight, and harmonic richness without grain or glare, though it can sound a little rounded and warm in certain system pairings.
Dynamics
95/100
Dynamics are a major strength, with reviewers citing natural, unforced transitions alongside explosive scale and startling live-performance impact. The Commander II was also credited with preserving microdynamics, delivering fast recovery, palpable bass-drum force, and a larger overall presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Soundstage reports are strongly positive, including superb layering, a convincing sense of venue, and precisely located performers on a three-dimensional stage. One comparison found the stage remained very wide and became taller, though it was somewhat less deep and gave up a measure of spatial detail to the source used alone.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
90/100
The Commander II is described as solidly built, rugged, and substantial despite its modest weight. Reviewers also note a clean, accessible internal layout, quality remote handset, thoughtful control spacing, and service-friendly access for parts replacement or tube rolling.
Features Connectivity
90/100
This is a flexible analog control center, with three RCA inputs, an XLR input, tape loop, home-theater bypass, two variable RCA outputs, fixed RCA output, and variable XLR output. The metal remote adds volume, mute, polarity, source-selection, and home-theater control, while the relay-controlled resistor-ladder volume control supports its premium usability.
Value for Money
95/100
At $9,000, the Commander II is clearly a premium purchase, but reviewers judged its performance unusually compelling against costly rivals. SoundStage Solo stated that it outperformed preamps the reviewer had owned at similar and considerably higher prices, while other coverage called it money well spent and recommended it with exceptional enthusiasm.
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Specifications
- Technical specifications
- Gain 16db Frequency response +0/-0.1db from 2Hz to 20kHz Noise -92 db, 35uv wide band Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): at 1k or at 20k 1.5v out = .05% Max Output > 10v Channel Separation = 82db at 1kHz Input Impedance: 25k Ohms nominal Output Impedance = 200 Ohms Inputs: 3 pairs RCA unbalanced, one pair XLR unbalanced, one pair Tape-in, one pair Home Theater Bypass RCAs unbalanced Outputs: 2 pair variable RCAs unbalanced, one pair variable XLR unbalanced, one pair fixed output RCAs Operating Voltage: 120V, 240V at 50 or 60Hz Dimensions: 16.75” x 15” x 6.25” Shipping weight 20 pounds Remote Control Functions: Volume up/ down, mute, polarity flip, H/T, aux 2, aux 3, aux 4, XLR input
Manufacturer's Description — Wells Audio
Experience music from a completely different and new perspective with the Commander pre-amplifier. Timbre, harmonics, and tonality bring naturalness to your system so that your favorite music is rendered with a delicacy, transparency, and resolution that has never been experienced before.
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Authorized dealers for Wells Audio Commander II
- Audiophile Zone — online and in-store — Baywood-Los Osos, California, United States (website)
- Distinctive Stereo — in-store — River Vale, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Signature Sound — in-store — Liverpool, New York, United States (website)
- soundstage ultra — in-store — El Cajon, California, United States (website)