Thanks for the thought! Someone else pointed out to me that there is a Canadian choice in the form of Mapletree - traditional design using 6SN7 tubes. Hard to find any reviews though as it is a tiny operation.
Considering a New Tube Pre-amp
I have used a Quad QC-24 pre-amp for thirteen years. Designed by Tim deParavicini, it isn't bad. But recently, and just for fun, I got out a pre-amp I bought some thirty years ago, cleaned it up and tried it out - a Copland CTA-301 MkII. It seems clearer with much tighter control of bass, and it looks like it's staying in place, at least for now.
But you know how these things go, it has raised doubts. Made me think that there is obviously room for pre-amp improvement. I wish to stay with a tube pre-amp, and I don't need a phono section as I have a separate phono stage, so I've been thinking about the following:
1. Cary SLP-98L. I've had good experiences in the past with Cary's now-defunct kit division, Audio Electronic Supply. I had their PH-1, AE-3 (both Dennis Had editions), SE-811 monoblocks and SixPacs. Downside, they have almost no dealers anymore and don't offer a warranty for international sales other than a dealer warranty (and they have undercut all their dealers who have dropped the brand).
2. Atma-Sphere MP-3. No personal experience here, but everyone says wonderful things. My power amps don't have balanced inputs, and only my CD/SACD player has a balanced output, so I'd have to order one with RCAs, losing one of the main advantages.
3. A wild card - the Manley NeoClassic 300B pre-amp. The most expensive and hard to find many reviews. But one still dreams of 300B sound....
One problem is that these are all US-made, and I may have to wait until the tariffs are withdrawn. I'll have to save up anyway as I'm now retired and the days of wasteful spending in hi-fi are in the past.
What do you think if you have experience of any of these pre-amps?
Showing 5 responses by dogberry
I'm in Canada, and would consider a used item. Budget is elastic, could go up to CDN10k, though would likely delay purchase the higher the cost. Whilst I enjoy tube sound, I don't like it to be overly warm and mellifluous. The Copland has shown me how much the Quad QC-24 indulges in such, and I'm currently enjoying it. But it is thirty odd years old and I expect it could be bettered. My wallet and my memories of the AES products makes me like the idea of the Cary, but I suspect the Atma-Sphere is the one that will make me happiest. |
I was pointed to the fact that the last two new-in-box Wyetech Ruby STD pre-amps are being sold for one third their asking price at the time their maker passed away in 2022. So I've put a deposit on one. https://www.wyetechlabs.com/sites/default/files/reviews/ruby-std-review-tone-audio-no-75.pdf And of course, it has been discussed here: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/wyetech-labs-ruby-std-preamp-any-views |