What preamp are you using?

[longhorn]

I am curious to know what preamp members here are using. I am looking for a preamp that gets out of the way yet soundstages like nobody's business............I prefer solid state since I leave my equipment on all the time,tubes seems too much of a hassle (though I loooooooooooved the sound from the ARC Ref 3).

 

[Audioseduction]

Pass Labs X1 here, I find it very transparent and excellent workmanship in the constructon of the unit. I also feel it provides the sound stage to kill for! I use balanced XLRs for both the source and amp. :music:

 

[eknuds01]

ARC LS2 MK2ii

Love it. A major improvement in quality from top to bottom.

 

[taylode]

McIntosh MX119 but going to add C2300. MX119 is very nice pre/pro but the 2300 is in another league; however, it is tube. Fortunately, there is C46, which is a very nice SS pre.

 

[Ron]

Primare sp31 processor with McIntosh MC 205 amp. Excellent processor.

 

[MiTT]

BAT VK-31SE and I LOVE it.

Don't be afraid of tubes, you will be hard pressed to wear a set out in a pre-amp. My BAT is "always on" in standby mode. Most tube pre-amp makers these days have circuits that apply a small bias voltage to the plates so that they always sound their best even when freshly turned on, but that actually extend the life of the tubes. I bought my pre-amp as a VK-30SE almost 10 years ago. When I had it upgraded to VK-31SE status 2 years ago I asked Vicktor to check out the tubes and he said they were as good as new and that I could expect to get another 10 years out of them.

If you really want musical magic and incredible soundstaging I think tubes get you there easier than solid state. Don't get me wrong, there are some GREAT solid state designs out there, but I think you'll actually spend more money equalling the performance of a valve pre-amp going the solid state route.

 

[sleepysurf]

Modwright SWL 9.0SE Signature Edition (with tube rectified power supply). This was my first foray into tubes, and I'm extremely happy with how it provides tube warmth to vocals, and still reasonably tight bass. FYI, tubes in pre-amps tend to last a very long time (unlike those in amps). I leave ALL my gear on for extended times (even days) whenever I think I'll have some upcoming listening time. I think constantly powering them on and off is probably just as (if not more) detrimental to their longevity than just leaving them on.

 

[Joey_V]

Cary SLP-05 tube reference preamp! I loooove this guy! Quite possibly the gem of my system!

I leave my tubes on all the time, unless I'm on vacay.... tubes in preamps are very durable compared to those in amps. Life is something like 20,000 hours or something.

Joey

 

[Diamonds]

I use a Conrad Johnson CT-5 Preamp. This is the best preamp I have ever owned.

My son uses a Conrad Johnson Met-1 6 channel analog which is out of this world.

 

[aliveatfive]

ARC Ref 3 - best I've heard.

 

[aliveatfive]

Cary SLP-05 tube reference preamp! I loooove this guy! Quite possibly the gem of my system!

I leave my tubes on all the time, unless I'm on vacay.... tubes in preamps are very durable compared to those in amps. Life is something like 20,000 hours or something.

Joey

Joey -
I've not heard of too many audiophiles leaving their tube preamps on all the time. Many manufacturers claim that small signal tubes will last maybe 5,000 hours - some a bit more, some a bit less!

 

[Tj Bassi]

Theta Casablanca III in 5.4 channel configuration. Excellent onboard DAC's for digital sources and very flexible setup for multichannel audio/HT.

Lacks analog 'finesse'.....toying with the idea of adding a tube phono stage for use with my *new* VPI. Hold that thought for a later thread

Tj

 

[longhorn]

Thanks for the replys,especially those of you have have tube preamps. Would you say on the average you change your tubes once a year if you leave your equipment on all the time?

My biggest fear with tubes is that I would not know when the tubes performance start eroding? It would be nice if the manufacturers made some type of an alarm to alert you to change the tubes.

I have heard some amazing soundstaging when listening to preamp tubes,and I know they have a wonderful effect on the mids. However do tube preamps have an effect on bass ( possibly not as tight) and highs ( maybe a little roll off)?

 

[mosttoysrk]

Just replaced a Krell KBL with a McIntosh C2200. Tubes is the way to go.

 

[Bernard]

ARC SP9 MkII, which I have modified. Long in the tooth, but still sounds great.

 

[aliveatfive]

Thanks for the replys,especially those of you have have tube preamps. Would you say on the average you change your tubes once a year if you leave your equipment on all the time?

My biggest fear with tubes is that I would not know when the tubes performance start eroding? It would be nice if the manufacturers made some type of an alarm to alert you to change the tubes.

I have heard some amazing soundstaging when listening to preamp tubes,and I know they have a wonderful effect on the mids. However do tube preamps have an effect on bass ( possibly not as tight) and highs ( maybe a little roll off)?

ARC puts a tube hour monitor on most of their new equipment. The manual tells you when to replace tubes. (2,000 hours for power tubes, 4,000 hours for small signal tubes, i.e. 12ax7, 6dj8, 6h30, stc.)

 

[jjay]

McIntosh c220 tube preamplifier - smooooth
Once you go tubes, you'll never go back
Jim

 

[amey01]

Copland CTA-305

Copland CTA-305 for me. As others have said - valves are unsurpassed for preamps to a lot of our ears.

 

[edwinr]

Audio Research LS25 MkII. Beautiful. Very quiet. Excellent flexibility for HT use:

 

[tonyc]

Another happy ARC Ref 3 owner! This thing is so damn good I took out a loan to buy it and have never regretted it!