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Esoteric C03 preamp or Mark Levinson 326S preamp- ANY and ALL FEEDBACK / HELP PLEASE

Esoteric C03 preamp or Mark Levinson 326S preamp 

ANY FEEDBACK - THOUGHTS - IDEAS would be so appreciated.

I am in the middle of total system re-fit and have made many changes - I am sure too many but I am quite happy now and now have my preamp choice down to these 2-preamps.

Can you guys provide any feedback about either of these. I like to hear from you guys. I read all the reviews on both and those are all well and good but I always get the real ho-down low-down from you guys - good or bad.

                                                ** Back Ground info**

** Room is 
14 x 24 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 16 Foot a peak

** Music likes:
Assorted Music no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else.

** Likes / Priority: 
Transparency - Delicate - Linear - High resolution - microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk the line as close as I can - real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - extended and to remove as many layers without being clinical - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency but needs to be musical. 

** Perspetive
Just had a BAT VK32SE brand new tubes / certified pre-owned, mint same as new preamp. Wrong match. Just looking to go total other way. Not what I am looking for.

** More Perspective - I have been running my Bricasti Direct M1SE to my Pass Labs X350.5 amps and really starting to love it. I want to expand on this sound a bit. Little more depth, width of stage, bass, dynamics but don't want to add veils or give up a lot in transparency - I know I will give up some vs direct in doing so. That is why I am looking for the very best SS preamp I can get in my range and have come up with these two choices and wanted to know your thoughts. 

System: 
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5160

Magico S5 Loud Speakers

Bricasti M1 Special Edition DSD DAC 

Pass Labs X350.5 Balanced Stereo Amplifier 

PS Audio P10 Power Plant Regenerator 

Kubala-Sosna Emotion 2.5M Speaker Cables 

Assorted IC's Balanced and Single ended.

Digital PC based front end that I have been tweaking and evolving:

Transport: microRendu 1.4 and Full Suite of UpTone Audio Premium Power Supplies (2)x LPS-1 and (1) JS2 LPS - (2) Regens - the new ISO and an Amber and all powered with premium/custom Canare / Oyide DC cables for all power supplies plus the great Tellurium Q Black Diamond Reference USB cable and a Curious Regen Link USB Cable.   

Really appreciate any help you can provide on these 2-preamps. If you would like more info please let me know - all comments and feedback are most welcome and deeply appreciated :)


Thanks guys/gals 

Fsmithjack 



fsmithjack

Showing 7 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
Well your amps have a balanced input...

Would it interest you to know that there are other balanced line tube preamps than the BAT?

It might also interest you to know that the balanced line system was created to eliminate cable interactions. So in theory you shouldn't have to use an expensive cable to make the system work properly.

Quite often though in high end audio, the balanced line standards are ignored in part if not entirely. As a result, as a general rule of thumb if you can hear big differences between balanced interconnect cables then something in the system isn't supporting in the standard.

I'm pretty sure the Pass supports the standard but less certain about the Levinson. You can test this by simply inserting an inexpensive cable like Canary or Mogomi Neglex and see how it sounds. If not a lot of difference that's a good thing but if it is a big difference you might consider the next step :)

Have fun and Happy Holidays!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
There are three threads with this same post.

Are you still up for improving the system performance?
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
It is no longer about voicing or preference anymore.
@fsmithjack  Was it ever? I don't know of any designer that 'voices' their electronics. We never have.

Had you ever considered a tube preamp with a direct-coupled output?
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
It is an OTL preamp so there is no coloration even though it has tubes inside. Read about it, you will get an idea.
Actually most tube preamps are OTL. Ironically, this one is not. An output transformer is employed as well as a solid state circuit in tandem for conversion from the high output impedance of the final tube to the much lower output impedance of the amp.

This says nothing about its sound though- it is a brilliant design (and patented, it is from the patent that the above information comes).
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
Sort of settled for a lot flabby bass and rolled off top and bottom because extension and my geniune understanding and appreciation for it came later in the game so I wasted a lot of great gear to be honest.
I would not settle for that either- and that is not what tubes are about, although I certainly agree that if things are not right- that is what you will get.

You don't need to suffer a loss of bandwidth at either end. Tubes can go to DC, and the same tube can go to many MHz- so if the circuit is right, the speed and bandwidth should not be a problem.

I went down a similar path although a very long time ago- amps of the quality of the Pass were not available back then so I wound up building my own stuff. Because I played in an orchestra I had some idea of what real instruments were supposed to sound like. The amps and preamps I eventually developed have the bandwidth and speed one expects of good solid state gear (accomplished by having direct-coupled outputs on both the amps and preamps, just like solid state but without the harshness). But if you didn't know that sort of thing existed, you might not believe it could be so.

If something like the Pass had existed back then I might not have been challenged enough to make my own gear. Nelson knows what he is doing!

I still don't understand how it came down to the two preamps you asked about, but in the end it doesn't matter- what *does* matter is that it works for you!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
I'm curious as to what you mean by this Ralph. I know many who are very happy with the ARC preamp/Pass Lab amp combination, including myself.

Al got it- The input impedance of the Pass puts the ARC at its limit. It might work well for you, but this does suggest it can get better
Thanks - guys - really these two preamps because last week i got a BAT Preamp and just feel Tubes based on what I’m after won’t work. The BAT compared to my Bricasti direct gave up much too much. I much prefer direct. Now when i used to Use a tube amp i found a pre to be much better. I’m amazing at how much of a difference my new Speakers show and expose everything. The BAT is fine as far as being a nice tube amp but I’m after transparency and dynamics while still be musical but tubes just don’t seem to fit hence my choice for SS. Both dealers will give me what I paid for my BAT and I just need to pay the difference in asking price plus I thought these are two good SS preamps but wanted some more info before i pull the trigger.
OK- if you're only exposure to tubes is BAT then I suggest try again.

Transparency, dynamics and musical- that does not sound like a transistor preamp to me. Maybe the BAT didn't work out, but it does not define all things tube by a long shot!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
I really don't understand why its down to these two preamps, but if

Transparency - Delicate - Linear - High resolution - microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk the line as close as I can - real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - extended and to remove as many layers without being clinical - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency but needs to be musical.
and you have an amp with a balanced input, then for starters I would not look for a solid state preamp, and balanced operation will be helpful. There are a number of manufacturers that make such things. I would stay away from ARC because they are at their limits working with the Pass Labs amps. So

BAT
Atma-Sphere
Aesthtix
Allnic

might be some good places to look. I am partial of course to the Atma-Sphere stuff (I think the direct coupled output allow it to play deep bass without the flab you mentioned).

If you really really have to go solid state, I would look at Ayre and Pass Labs.

As a further recommendation, if you're going balanced get a preamp which supports the balanced line standard (AES file 48 if you care to google) which will reduce the effect of interconnect cables on the sound in your system (read more detailed, more natural).
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