Best preamp for atma sphere m60 under $3000 used?

Pedrillo, it's not just tubes, I have had many top flight tube amps, it is the magic of Atma-sphere, OTLs, Class A, and triode. I've come to the conclusion that IF your speakers are OTL friendly, they are very tough to beat - of course OTLs won't shine with every speaker. Congratulations on your M60s, the MP3 will suprise you as well.

The Atma's are not sensitive enough IMHO for passives with typical sources, maybe with very sensitive speakers. I found it did not work so great for me with the Merlins). I think the MP-3 (w/Vac and Power Upgrade) with the M-60s sound better than the Dodd Battey Pre and Joule LA-150MKI which I did try with the M-60s. You will never stop thinking there is something better out there, there is, but this combination should really get you off the merry-go-round if you are ready to. You would continue to use an ecternal phono pre, right?

I've been going back and forth with the Dodd and MP-3 and both are very good preamps (like Spencer, I have also owend CAT and Joule pres). I prefer the Dodd with my Music Reference RM9SE and prefer the MP-3 (latest version with V-Cap and Power Regulation upgrades) with the M-60s. I suspect, but don't really know, that the MP-3 linestage is better than its phono-stage. I guess you can't know till you try both, but the Dodd is certainly a REALLY good value, but for me there is a synergy between the ATMA pieces that work for me (as a line stage, unfortuantely I stopped using vinyl a while ago).

By a used MP-3, it will sell for what you paid for it and then get the MP-1 later on if you don't think the MP-3 does it for you. As a linestage, the MP-3 is outstanding, I chose it after and month or two of A/Bing the Joule LA150 MKII, and it was a tough choice as the are both outstanding; and I came to the Joule after hacing the CAT and Lamm preamps, in other words the MP-3 is darn good and an outstand pairing with the M-60s. As to its phono-stage versus the MP-1, that I know nothing abouth, but I expect that is where you would hear a worthwhile upgrade. I would also recommend the Dodd Battery pre, but alas it does not have a phono stage. What I feel fairly confident suggesting is that a quality tube pre amp is likely to be an upgrade from the SIM, so the question is how long you want to wait. Thanks to Agon, you can try this stuff with little risk you'll suffer financially. Theory is interesting, but not worth a darn compared to listining with you ears, with your music, in your room.

Hi Spencer. I do wonder if your "issues" with the MP-3 were based on the phono stage which seems to have some noise issues and seems to require very quiet tubes to work best. As a line stage I think it works very well indeed and it sound quite different with M60 than the Dodd (I own both)and preference here is a matter of taste, I prefer the MP3 with the M60, but love the Dodd with my Music Reference. It might very well be a good option to use the Dodd with a separate phone stage. You have a lot of experience with the MP-3's phono stage so it seems like fair warning.