Thanks Mark might just give you a call! I have done much reading based on feedback from members here and recommended threads..........yours was interesting Mark...entertaining!! Some other preamps that caught my eye from my reading were MBL6010D...but it seems alot of folks think the sound can be too big and not real, as amazing as that pre sounds from the reviews. The Shindo interests me, but not sure if it's single ended or balanced, I will have to check into it. The Halcro DM10 seems undeniable, but I just don't know about the design! ARC ref 3 is interesting, seems like most people think there is good bang for the buck with the ARC ref 3, but not alot of people raving about it......not much passion about it, seems strange for a tube reference amp......seems to me that when talking about us audionuts that most of the really over the top ones are tube people, and yet alot of folks like the REf 3 maybe even love it, but no passion in their words. That said.....I read about the BAT VK52SE and there are some passionate folks talking about that unit, so much so that it is at the top of my short list right now! I just read some about the Krell EVO 222, don't have much info on that so will have to look it up as well. Thanks again to everyone inputing their recommendations! |
Thank you very much to everyone who has responded, you have given me a number of options to investigate. My issue with the tube stuff is that I need to use the pre as a pass through for my theatre system as well as my two channel system, and don't know if that can be done without putting time on the tubes!?? I just don't want to have to unhook and hookup cables depending on if I run the two channel or the theatre! If a tube pre is going to be that much better than SS I can work on other options, but would like the ease of pass through capable pre. Right now I am also using Y adaptors on my 380S output so that I can run one cable to the bass tower amp and one cable to the tweeter/mid amps............I need to do this as the 380S only has one left and one right output. Thanks again for all the info everyone, much appreciated. |
Thanks Bvdiman, I will look into it! I had kind of dismissed the FM stuff cause the only one on here was $70000.............waaaaaaay tooooooo much! Hopefully the models you named are much more realistic in price! BTW, the HT byepass is not mandatory if the sound from a particular pre is that good! I will give the VTL a chance, I'm hearing lots good about them, but like Halcro I'm having a hard time getting past their looks!! I'm kind of strange that way though.......I like big Italian women better than the sleek California model!! Preference I guess! |
Thanks guys! I did find a number of reviews today that raved about the ARC ref3, very impressive. What I like about it is that it has dual balanced outputs! Wondering though if you can do HT passthrough.....it has a video input!!?? Not sure if that would be for the HT passthrough! Thing I'm finding with ARC is everyone likes it. With BAT some really really don't like it, others rave about it. I know alot of this is system dependant, but ARC seems to at least work for everyone! The MBL is interesting, anyone have any experience with ARC AND MBL?
Tks. |
Ok, VTL.........can't get past the looks.
Halcro......can't get past the looks.
FMA.....to much cash, unless a used one comes on the market.
MBL 6010D:This seems to be my best option right now! There are used ones on here occasionally for a decent price.
Burmester 011: Very intrigued! ANYONE EVER AUDITION THE BURMESTER?? |
UPDATE: Well I did some auditioning and ended up buying a Nagra PLL preamp. It blew me away. It is better than my Levinson 380S in every way. I could not audition everything I was interested in, due to local availability, however over the years I have compared lots to my Levinson 380S and always the ML came out on top for me. The detail on the Nagra is in a different league from my Levinson, as well the sound staging and reality of the performance for me is a big step closer to being there. The Nagra also was for me heads and shoulder better than the MBL 5011. I was unfortunately unable to listen to a MBL 6010D. I also thought the Nagra was much more detailed than the Krell stuff I listened to. I really didn't want to buy the Nagra, because I wanted Home Theatre pass-through for convenience, and also wanted two sets of balance ins and outs, which the Nagra does not have!! I am also not crazy about the side inputs and outputs on the Nagra........I keep my interconnects short due to cost, and am now probably going to have to purchase a longer set! However.........I just could not deny the sound and performance of this preamp. So much so, that all the other "wants" just became secondary to the music. I am hearing so much more music on every CD I play, that I look forward to re-hearing every song on my favourite playlist. Occassionally I'm shocked at how much I never heard before on CD's I've played for years. One other thing that stands out for me is how everything is held together at higher volumes. It doesn't matter whether playing low volume or higher volumes, things all stay the same, only louder. I could never really understand what some people were saying when they would comment on this, until now, and I realize how thin my Levinson got when the volume was turned up.
Thanks to everyone who input to this thread. |
I love the Gabriel Raptures. I don't have much to compare them to........some MIT and also some Virtual Dynamics stuff,Heavens gate, Madrigal, Cardas........
The GG is so so nice! I would like to try some other stuff, but when I look at the system and think, well what could my weak link be now.........my answer is never the GG. So I will make them work for now, perhaps look at a longer pair in the future, we'll see.
With respect to the Ref 3, I considered it very carefully. It did everything I wanted, had all the connections I wanted, but, I found too many people who were not happy with it. That's not to say that it's no good or anything I'm sure, just that perhaps it did not fit into everyones system to their liking. With the Nagra, wow, really happy with it. I will need to hook my home theatre through it in the next little while and see how that is going to sound...........if I can't make that work nicely for me, I may need to consider something like the VAC Renaisance in the future, with all the connections I need...........hopefully I can make this pass-through thing work, cause I would like to make this preamp a keeper. |
Just to keep anyone up to speed who is reading or following this thread................I sold the Nagra and bought the Joule Electra LA300 (Marianne)preamp. Don't get the wrong idea, I loved the Nagra......didn't like it's looks, loved it's "sound". Now with the Marianne, I feel my preamp search is over. I find it to be like a woman that is somewhat attractive at first, and the more you get to know her the more beautiful she gets........rare!! As much as I liked the sound of the Nagra, it never came close to having that affect on me, no piece of audio equipment has! |
I've heard a little about the Esoteric preamp Mark, but will have to check out those reviews!
I have moved on from the Joule and bought both an Atmasphere MP1 and MBL6010D to compare, thinking I would keep the one which worked best in my system, which I did. The Atma has moved on and I am using the MBL now! |
Something I bought since last talking with you Mark are the Bybee speaker bullets! Love them.....if you can get them on a deal.
The MBL works perfectly in my system. It has tons of detail and yet is somehow on the warm side, it's like a velvet hammer. I can't see getting back on the preamp merrygoround again, for a while anyways. |
