Atma-Sphere MP3 or something else?

I purchased a demo MP3.3 last summer.  Line level only.  The unit is dead quite.  If you're getting noise, chances are it's a tube. No experience with Primaluna but I have owned several preamps, both tube and SS, both less and more expensive than the MP3 and imo the MP3 bests them all. Never heard the previous versions of the MP3 but its my understanding several improvements were made.  The real advantage imo with the Atma gear is running it balanced.  

@marco1 

thank you for chiming in! after listening with the MP3, i find it hard to go back to my other preamp. Are you running stock tubes and does your unit have the Damping Package option? i was also recommended the VCap upgrade.

Vcaps only.  NOS tubes.  RCA 12AU7's from the 60's really made a difference.  Older Russian 6ns7 (can't remember who's) not so much so.

Your amplifier appears to have gain switches on the rear panel. If they are in the high gain position try a lower setting. That might sort your problem.

Make sure the amp and preamp are plugged into a wall outlet that is served by the same AC circuit. If they are on a different circuit, its possible to exceed what is known as the 'Common Mode Rejection Ratio' which can result in buzz/hum.

i returned the demo unit to the dealer.
i actually really enjoyed the sound of this preamp, but sadly, i couldnt get rid of the background noise.. this despite switching out multiple tubes, cables, etc. I tried it with my speakers (Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2ex) and there was an audible whine from the ribbon tweeters. also moved the entire setup around the house to try different outlets but no luck.

am now considering the Cary SLP-05; emailed them to inquire, and Billy assures me it'll be silent. 

Aric Audio Motherlode! Call Aric and discuss your gear and desired results. He will be a great resource for you and builds fantastic tube gear.

Take a hard look at Linear Tube Audio preamps.  I’d think the MZ3 or the MicroZOTL (depending on your needs) could be excellent candidates, and I think they even offer a trial period.  Best of luck.

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/preamplifiers

just to close the loop.. 

ended up ordering the slp-05. such a beautiful component indeed! it is dead silent with my gear (which was a massive relief). swapped out the stock tubes for a NOS Mullard GZ34 and a set of sylvania 6sn7 black plates and the sound is phenomenal. the low end feels like it will extend down forever. very holographic sounding with lovely width and front/back depth. the headphone out is unfortunately quite a bit of a disappointment.. but as a preamp, it is great!

cary

Congrats!  Enjoy, and thanks for the follow up. 

OP @docroasty - to reconfirm, so are you now using the Cary SLP-05 tube preamp in front of the NAD M23 Purifi Class-D amplifier then? Also, still using the Ascend Sierra II ex speakers, or different speakers now?

Curious to know two things. 1) what other amplifiers have you tried before, 2) do you by chance have other amplifiers sitting around to compare to with this combo?

@decooney yep am using it in front of the Nad m23. I still have the Sierra 2ex but those speakers are used with an Audiolab integrated; I only tested it with the mp3 to see if the whine/hum was still present with speakers. otherwise, the slp-05 and nad M23 are used with my headphones (yea I know..) but I find my Abyss 1266 TC Phi sound best out of speaker amps. 

​​​​​​As for other amplifiers I've tried.. Audiolab 6000a, Audiolab 8300a, Benchmark AHB2, Pass Int60, apollon 1et400a, kinki M7. aside from the current nad M23, I also have the apollon 1et7040sa variant purifi; this actually pairs very well with the slp-05. I wanted to use these two power amps because I like how they have selectable gain. 

am waiting for my friend to test his newly received atma-sphere Gan monoblocks before I decide if I wanna pull the trigger on those somewhere down the road. 

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@docroasty ...As for other amplifiers I've tried.. Audiolab 6000a, Audiolab 8300a, Benchmark AHB2, Pass Int60, apollon 1et400a, kinki M7. aside from the current nad M23, I also have the apollon 1et7040sa variant purifi; this actually pairs very well with the slp-05. 

A worthy comparison group there. Will be interested if you conclude any of the Class D amps, M23 or Gan monos pair up better with the SLP-05 as good as or better than any of the prior solid state amps you've tried. Thx. 

@decooney am slightly hesitant to try the Atma-Sphere Gan monos as they too have rather high gain (well, in comparison to the apollon and nad amps). between the Nad and the Apollon, it's pretty close; Apollon is slightly smoother up top but the Nad has imo better low end extension and slightly more bass. The Apollon amp looks nicer, is built like a tank, and has 4 selectable gain levels, which is useful. won't be going back to Benchmark anytime soon; I had the whole stack ie dac3b, hpa4 and ahb2 and the cold neutrality killed the enjoyment of listening to music.. 

@docroasty "I had the whole stack ie dac3b, hpa4 and ahb2 and the cold neutrality killed the enjoyment of listening to music.."

Yep. Had the dac3b too. Not for long, for the same reasons. Another one of those so called "great measuring" components, and yet I lost interest in it rather quickly.  

Best of luck on the next steps and finding a good match.