Cary Preamps

I'll second going the NOS tube route on the SLP-98. However, I had no problems with the Chinese tubes other than they sounded flat. No ringing problems but then again I use Halos and my preamp sits on a suspension rack.

I second the SLP-98. I just bought one and have had no problems with it. I own a few Cary components and find them to be high quality. The suggestion for AES is a good one. Also, these are rare, but the N.E.W. P-3 is a consideration. I traded mine in to a dealer when I bought the SLP-98, so I know where one exists if you're interested. It would probably cost less than $500. Cary built the P-3 for N.E.W. (a company now defunct) which resembles an AES DJH and Cary SLP-50. According to a conversation I had with Dennis Had, he got a lot of mileage out of that preamp design. For $150 Cary will upgrade the unit to accept 6CG7 tubes. According to Dennis this will make the preamp scream. I owned the preamp for several years and it was very reliable and sounded great. Original price on it was $1650 (circa 1997) so it was no slouch.

I'd consider some of the other Cary preamps as well. The SLP-88 seems to be in your price range and is the predecessor to the SLP-94 and SLP-98. A couple on here now.

Good luck with the search.

Linnlp12,

What brand of teflon caps did you install? Also, what tubes are you using?

I had an NEW preamp and the DC-33 battery operated amp. I traded those in on a Cary SLP-98. The NEW preamp was great and Dennis Had also recommended sending it in and having the tube circuits converted to accept 6CG7s which he said are similar to the 6SN7s. Also, there are occasionally AES preamps for sale here that are made by Cary's sister company. They are supposed to be a good value.