Looking for warm tube preamp (should pair well with Pass power amp), budget $6000

@smodtactical 

You've made a significant investment with that ARC preamp.  Stereophile called it a reference piece of gear and that's not something they do lightly.   Since you have the 6550 tung sol tubes coming, you should definitely see what kind of difference that makes.  But chances are with that preamp, I'd expect there to not be big changes.

I think you'd get more enjoyment out of building a preamp than you can imagine.  You become much more involved in what you're doing.  The SP14 uses 6SN7 tubes and there are many different brands of 6SN7, so you'd definitely have more to choose from.   The cost of the SP14 kit is low enough relative to what you've obviously spent elsewhere in your system that you can afford to experiment.

It's a little like comparing the experience of buying a new, hi-end Porsche versus an older sports car that you do all of the work on during weekends.  The new Porsche is an exceptional machine.  Too perfect perhaps.   But that 50 year old Triumph begs for you to know every inch of it before you even get in.

If you really want to get your hands "dirty", consider building an Aikido circuit preamp with one of the boards from Glassware Audio.  It's the same circuit that the SP14 uses, but you'd be using a different power supply and you'd be building it all from scratch.  Then you get a lot more choices regarding power supply, caps, stepped attenuators, etc.  Now THAT would be fun!

What is it with people who think they have to drop $6000 on a tube preamp?  That somehow anything less just isn't good enough?

P.T. Barnum was right.

@decooney

There are any number of truly excellent tube preamps at far lower cost. How low would you like to go? The OP has a 10 year old reference preamp from Audio Research, which you’d like to think was pretty good. Has he updated the tubes or done any tube rolling? That would make an enormous difference in his experience at the cost of no more than a couple hundred dollars, not many thousands. That should be his first go-to. That’s where the biggest difference is - not the tube circuit or even the builder. It’s in the damn tubes.

I’ve heard it said that ARC preamps can sound a lot like a solid state preamp. I wouldn’t know myself. I run a VTA aikido circuit preamp I’m quite happy with. New fully assembled ones can be had for $1600. Don Sachs builds the same preamp in a much prettier case for $1000 more, if appearances are important to you.

I’ve always liked the McIntosh C22 (selling for anywhere from $4500 - $6000), but feel they cost more than they sound. The benefit of a C22 is that they hold their resale value and actually appreciate. I very much like their phono section.

What’s much harder to come by, but is very cool, is the Fisher 400 CX (when found on the used market typically sell today for about $4000) . A friend has one fully restored and it’s a worthy competitor to the C22, and it’s GORGEOUS if appearances are important to you.

But the real joy in audio is when you get your hands "dirty". Build it! Build an aikido circuit preamp with the board from Glassware Audio. They are very well received and can probably built for about $600 in parts. There’s no greater joy in audio than being deeply involved in your system.

But if you buy your audio the way rich guys by their sports cars, then by all means go drop $6k or so on a Cary or Manley preamp.