Cary SLP-98 or SLP-05. SLP stands for Sweet Little Preamp.
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Aric Audio as @cmach pointed out. I run the Motherlode II with First Watt amps. I find it to be an excellent pairing. |
I owned a Audio Research 5SE for many years, with a Pass amp. The best thing I did was to get rid of the Pass amp and replace it with an ARC amp. Honestly, most likely you are thinking of replacing the wrong component. Replace your amp with a used Ref75… or better. this will have the effect you are looking for. Audio Research Reference preamps above 3 are just plain world class… their amps are just amazing… I now have a ARC Ref 6SE. And a Ref 160s amp… although I have been using ARC Ref 160m monoblocks for the last couple months. These are an incredible combo. |
Agree with @ghdprentice You are better to choose tube amplifier instead. Used Audio research Ref 75 might be a good choice with your price range. A lot of people choose SS power amplifier, and I try to remind several times, if they replace with tube amplifier, the result will be big different. I always use tube amplifier, This is 100% for me. and for the pre, most of time I love SS pre. I always think the tube power amplifier is the right way to go.
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@russ69 from the pictures of the ’98 I’ve seen, I hear you. That line of pre certainly evolved since the SLP 90 & ’94, didn’t it. I still own the SLP 90 that I upgraded from with the 05, & the SLP 90 truly is a "sweet LITTLE preamp" (its power supply must be a quarter of the size of the ’05’s power supply, and the chassis of the preamp section is way smaller by comparison). But speaking of a "warm preamp", I always thought of my SLP 90 as that. Maybe it wasn’t, maybe it was just the set up it was in, or mabe it was the Mullard 12au7s. I felt it was a huge sonic upgrade from the B&K HT preamp I had in front of my (at the time of upgrade) ARC VTM 120s. It went from being in front of the ARCs to being in front of a Cary V12 (which is still there) & I still thought it was a warm sounding set up. I honestly do love the SLP05, but I don’t feel the same warmth. And again, that could be the tubes, except for 3 & 6 (the balanced ins), the other 4 are still the stock EHs.
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Thanks so much guys for your many suggestions really appreciate it.
@fertguy Did you find bhk sig pre to be a warm pre? From what i read its more neutral? |
the SP14 is just a straightforward Aikido design, as published by John Broskie (see Tubecad Journal for full details) with regulated power supplies. Broskie also supplies pc boards and kits for versions which can use the 6SN7 and just about any other tube under the sun, should you so wish. Just google Aikido linestage, there‘s plenty written on the topology.
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Both Ear Yoshino and Audio Note have distinctive warm sound and these two UK manufacturers are cherrished by french audiophiles. Their gear sounds much better than any McIntosh, Carry or AR I can think of. We also have here Jadis and some other highly appreciated names. French audiophiles love tubes. For many of them Ear Yoshino 912 is the Holy Grail in tube preamplification, which I have owned too. Very nice and warm sound. However, I personally use today Atma Sphere gear, wich is in my humble opinion even better. It is made in USA. So my first choice would be Atma Sphere MP-3, and second Yoshino 912. |
Hi @smodtactical, I own three old Arics preamps. A very early 3.5 I think it is,an Unlimited ( it’s a 12a?7 based pre. Aric’s preamps are a tube rollers dream) and a Motherlode II. I find the Unlimited to be more on the warm side than the Motherlode II. The Motherlode II is neutral with just a sprinkle of warmth. This pre is also VERY responsive to tube rolling. I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing your Pass Labs amp,however if it has any of the same DNA as the First Watt amps,it will be a joy to listen to. I hope I answered your questions.
Ray |
@smodtactical Just to chime in, the Super, ML II and ML XL (balanced version) are all designed for a neutral and fast sound, with enough warmth to smooth out a solid state amplifier and a couple of mods can be made to provide more of a warm sound. Takman carbon comp resistors, V Cap Odam coupling caps and a slightly lower operating voltage will achieve this. I've had several customers request this to help with taming an apparent stridency or sharpness in their systems. Best regards, Aric |
I am using a McIntosh C2300 tube pre (into a McIntosh MC152 ss) and really enjoy it. They run about $4k, and I’ve worked with Audio Classics in Vestal NY for all my used McIntosh gear - always had a great experience I occasionally swap amps and use a Will Vincent pp EL34 - the tube/tube combination stills retains “crispness” and is not overly warm, to my ear (shout out to Will Vincent, another individual tube amp maker creating beautiful pieces for all of us to enjoy - his handle is @autospec ) Let us know what you decide & have a great day! |
Aric Audio! Before I acquired the Coda Model 16, I had Aric's Motherlode paired with Pass XA60.8's and XA160.8's, and the results were sublime! Wonderful clarity, without being bright and the warmth I was seeking to round out the solid state slam. Aric and I worked on the original Motherlode when I was seeking out TRL Audio's, The Dude. I could not find one, so Aric built a close replica based on pics and schematics that he found, and added his own expertise and knowledge to bring out what I wanted in The Motherlode. |
ARC has been working from the tube side getting more and more accurate for many decades. Their tube amps are very neutral and natural not remotely syrupy. Your description of what you wanted described it perfectly. Also, ARC gear is very synergistic… the more in the signal path the better it sounds. This way you don’t end up with one component on the cool side and the other a bit on the warm side and loosing a bit of both through subtraction. I never realized how important this synergy was until I added an ARC amp and then an ARC DAC… wow… that was a jaw dropping moment. But still, swapping my Pass x350 for a ARC 160s was perhaps the most consequential change I ever made. |
If my McIntosh mx110z tube tuner/preamp died, I would fix it or get another, without a sideways glance at another. I received mine, used it for over a year, then gave it to Audio Classics. Best thing they did was replace all the rca jack panels with new gold plated ones. My advice now, if buying vintage, save a step: have seller ship it directly to your restorer, in my case, here in the east, Audio Classics. They do this and that, then on to you. .............................. This one has already been 'done' by Audio Classics.
see the new rca jacks.
this one, see the old corroded jacks
zero noise, fabulous fm, two wonderful phono inputs (I use SUT for MC to keep using mx110z's phono. McIntosh units have the wonderful MODE dial, very helpful playing Mono LPs, , balance, loudness, tone .... |
This is a very interesting thread, and in fact, this thread hind a big question mark for us all. It is the pre we ask for. For example, Audio research Ref 5se, some one try to swap it out and some one call it world class pre. So who is right? What content inside the pre? What we ask for the pre? I am here to send my 2 cents: There are 2 most important fact of the pre. Go small or go large! Go small, means go detail There are a lot of sparkles on the recordings, with right pre you can hear very clearly, with another one, you almost can NOT hear it. Some one value this point, I am the one who value small, you can call small sound. Go Large, meaning very big 3D imagine, very spacious, The sound is very open, and sound becomes big. The new one might be surprised and call it is the one who ask. Audio Research Ref 5 se is go large definitely. Does the pre can go small and go large both???? Seldom!!!!! So who is who? Different people emphasis on different things. They both right, they are searching the different kinds of things. From this point of view, you will not convince the other people to choose what you choose. People are just different.
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@russ69 I lose track of time, but it seems like about a year and a half or so ago I saw Upscale Audio was selling a SLP98 with the upgrade. Was that the one you bought? I was looking at that one with interest, especially because I think it had a phono stage(?), & I've kind of had vynyl on my bucket list (I don't think I am going to achieve that one, however) but I did note it didn't have balanced ins & outs & since I paid what I considered (at the time) a bundle for my balanced Kimber Silver Streaks, I guess that may have been my excuse not to buy something I couldn't afford. I actually got my SLP05 from Cary's preowned page. I justified also getting The Ultimate Upgrade because then I got free shipping. That kind of logic is part of why I will not be a wealthy man when I die. Although I said that I do not feel the same warmth from my '05 as I do from my '90, I did not mean that was necessarily a bad thing. I won't call anything "natural" sounding anymore, because I don't know what "natural" is supposed to sound like. I guess, ideally, maybe I would like to hear what they hear inside the recording studio? While I enjoyed what I felt was a "warm" sound from my 12au7 SLP90, what I get from my 6sn7 SLP90 is great resolution & detail (which I suppose is what "imaging" is) and a larger sound stage (within my small listening room). Not that the SLP90 doesn't reproduce detail & imaging, just not nearly as well & to the extent that my '05 does. I suspect that is something that your 6SN7 SLP98 does as well. I lack the Golden Ear & the vocabulary to write about this subject, but if anything, I would describe the sound I have with the SLP05 now in the system as being rather "liquid." Which at one time I think I might have also said about my SLP90, just a warmer "liquid" and not as much of it. |
If you are interested in playing vinyl, Atma-Sphere MP-3 is best in your price. Not exactly warm but accurate is more desirable. True balanced means pricey IC are not needed. I use $50 Mogami. The built in phono stage is as good or better than an outboard stage surely more than $6K. And it is big advantage not to have another pricey IC. |
If you want to get a warmer sound from your SLP-05 try some NOS tubes. I love the old Sylvania tubes in it. Fuller and smoother then the stock tubes and just all around better sound. If you want a much warmer sound try NOS RCA tubes. I prefer the detail of Sylvania’s but everyone has a different taste and depends on the rest of your equipment. Try Brent at audiotubes.com. He’ll be a great help and his page tells a lot about the sound of different types of NOS tubes. A tube change can greatly alter the sound. With new production tubes there sometimes isn’t as huge a sound difference. Some are just bright and edgy. |
Disagree with the idea of ditching the Pass power amp for ARC when OP is looking for warmer. I've owned a number of Pass amps, most recently XA25, and currently have a Ref 75 SE. ARC can be eye opening and very impressive, but doesn't have the warmth, richness, and density of Pass. They are just different sounding. As far as preamps, something 6SN7-based like the Cary might the ticket. I like Von Gaylord as they definitely have the midrange magic, but are minimalist in terms of features if that's important to you. I also had the CJ CT5 with a Pass XA30.5, which was a great match. Warm, but pretty open sounding too. Good luck! |
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Re: "Cary SLP-98" and "SLP-05" preamps and related "upgrades". TUBES: The overall sound, stage, presentation, tone, texture is easily changed with these tube preamplifiers by utilizing good matched NOS/vintage or quality new issue 6SN7s / CV181s. See other Agon, Audiocircle, and Audio Afficianado threads on this. CAPS: basic stock, older Jensen, F1 Upgrades, later Mundorf Silver-Gold / Ultimate Upgrade capacitors all sound different. Up to ~200hrs on Mundorfs to form, settle. I’m seeing members making judgement too early, not giving either unit or upgrades enough time to settle in. The sound does change after 100, 200hrs. INTERCONNECTS: both of these preamp units can be sensitive and responsive to different OFC, OCC, Silver plated ICs. After tube/cap upgrades, ICs become even more notable. Not as beneficial with lower grade stock tubes and stock caps. Both are decent preamp units in stock form with stock tubes and caps, however can be greatly improved with much better 6SN7s, upgraded caps. After these are done, great interconnects truly show up. All three upgrades are totally worth it IME. Anyone here who’s done all of these upgrades knows how it brings greater value out of your entire system, components, and speakers. Sure enjoy mine, fwiw.
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I have a Pass 250.8 on a pair of Wilson Sabrina in a neutral treated room. I run a Pass XP 10 pre amp and the system is neutral or possibly leans toward the warm side. I'd think that it'd be too warm if a warm pre amp was added into the system given the Pass amp. it may be more of a room treatment issue you have if you find it too bright- or your speakers ? Changing the pre amp out for 6k to possibly gain a slightly warmer sound may not be the best bang, nor the most predictable means of testing things out. Try the EQ settings in Roon if you use it. They're very flexible, you can set many different bands up with varying Q factors, even set pre set curves for low level, loud listening and much more. It's included with Roon. |
Why tube in a dac ? I have had several Lampi dacs they are smooth but you loose resolution . A very good R2R dac has better resolution for a great example I bought one, the Denafrips a terminator2 will give you Everythung you could want and more and it’s only $4700. the terminator+ is slightly better but $6500 both are pretty much the same except for a few capacitirs , a rounded edge on the Terminstor+ and even tighter specs way beyond hearing . TheTerminstor2 ,and weighs 42 lbs and yes there are service centers in theUS now , which rare ,very dependable and built like a tank with all brand name quality parts. |
I run a Aesthetix Calypso Signature into a Pass Labs x350.8 about half the time when i want to go 'warm'. I switch that out between the xp-30 as my silly whims change month over month. Plenty of gain, no compatibility issues, and is super sweet. I usually run early 50s mullard or 60s amperex to adjust the 'warmness' in both the 12ax7 and 6dj8 positions, although OEM tubes work just fine. Playback is going through some Wilson DAWs. It's great too since it has HT passthrough and doesn't need to be on to watch TV or do movies. Plenty of inputs and outputs too.... |
Surprised nobody has suggested the Modwright LS100. I have owned and run McIntosh C2300, C500T and the Aesthetix Calypso Sig and I prefer the LS100. I run NOS Melz 1578(6SN7) tubes and NOS Mullard GZ37 Fat Bottle and the sound is magical. Currently paired with Odyssey Monoblocks and couldn't be happier. New pricing still under your budget and used way under your budget with plenty left over for tube rolling:) |