has anyone heard the new joule la 150 pre???

I just upgraded my LA-100 to the LA-150 and what Jud was saying is right on the money. I have been playing music all weekend and am amazed at improvement in the detail, soundstage, etc. IMO worth every penny of the upgrade price. I have also been comparing it to the Hovland with the mind of keeping the better one. In my system (one of the many classic Merlin Joule Cardas systems)the LA-150 is much better in every category I care about. The Hovland sounds much closer to the LA-100 than the LA-150. I was one of those who believed the LA-100 was slightly tilted to the warm sound of neutral and slighly veiled in the HF. The LA-150 corrects this and then some.

hey mark--
could you go into more detail about the joule 150 vs. hovland? i was thinking of looking into the hovland, but if all it takes is $750 upgrade to beat it, hey i'm there.

FWIW: i have a 100mk2 and find that its an exceptional component in most every way..only a few nits with it, but nothing major enough to not recommend it...though i do disagree w/ a previous poster--i find that in my system when dynamics and complexity are called for at the same time, it gets a bit confused---but not much. all in all, a great pre.

rhyno

Rhyno, first off I agree with you that during complex music the LA-100 MKIII does get a little confused. To my ears sort of veiled and sluggish. Some posters have heard it as a dark quality - confused is a good description, like you said by not much. Other wise, for the money, especially on the used market - I believe an upbeatable value. Now given that, I would say that the LA-150 is simply one of, if not the best preamps, certainly in my system. At first I found the LA-150 a little bass shy but after some breakin time I realized that it was just in comparison to the darker nature or the LA-100. The LF is actually faster and more tunefull. The LA-150 gives a much more detailed, wider and deaper soundstage with tremendous air. My wife hears it as detailed and yet smooth - You just want to keep listening.

IMO and again given my system (I am a big believer in the SYSTEM)the Hovland was softer than the Joule at both frequency extremes with the LF being the more noticable. I would say that the Hovland was more neutral than the LA-100 but it didn't reach as deep or as high. More romantic? Maybe - my wife thinks so - it certainly looks pretty but I love the Joules remote!

I have also compared a SF Line 3 which is just way to analytical in my system. At first, I thought the Line 3 had some nice feature which actually had very little value over the longer term. I guess I am a minimalist.

I found the CAT signature similar to the Hovland but more extended and maybe a little less romantic.

I listened to the BAT VK-5i but not the VK50SE which of course uses similar tubes and didn't like it in my system at all.

Finally, a good friend who also uses VSM-M's loves his Thor TA-1000 but I have never heard it in combination with my Joule amp and anyway I don't believe it would better the LA-150.

LA-100 >> LA-150 best upgrade yet!