audio aero

Having owned the AA Capitole my experience was that it performs better direct with some amps than with others. That being said, I also feel that over performance is better with a good preamp. Due to the very warm sound of the AA, I would be go with a solid state preamp (possibly with the exception of an ARC preamp which doesn't add too much warmth, if any). Most other tube preamps I don't feel would be that good of a match.

If you are looking for a very good preamp that is very reasonably priced, you may want to consider a Jeff Rowland Capri (<$2,000). I have owned the Capri and it is a very good preamp. I currently run a tubed preamp (Aesthetix Calypso), but don't think I would recommend this for the AA Cap as my first choice. The neutrality of the Capri should be a pretty good match.

FWIW I do not have any experience with the 3 preamps Georgemg refers to above, so I take his recommendations at his word as an owner of these preamps and an AA Cap.

The AA with the right amp/speaker combo is a pretty nice combo though.

I tried before audiopx model 5, gamut d3, and now goldmund 27.3, my impresion is that all these preamplifiers using between my AA prestige and the amplifier I use , has a slowness efect in music, some kind of loss in dynamics, some times a discret compressionin extremes.

Borrow a pre from someone.I use a Conrad Johnson LS16 with
mine.

I have been using the Capitole Signature for more than a year with my MX-R amps, with very good results.
I have just purchased a Ayre KX-R and can tell you that, even without the pre-amp being fully broken in, the Capitole is no match.
I would summarize by saying the the Capitole is a very good pre-amp when compared to stand-alone unit in the 3-4K price range.