Matching Gear matter to you?

@verdantaudio  the person who brought this to my attention said the one I was originally looking at IS very good but that the other brand was just better. 
So had I never heard that I would most likely have been very happy with the original. But it seems to me that one that does have synergy with my amp AND has the same basic sound signature but improved on it AND is a few hundred less would be a no brainer.
Not sure what craziness I’m fighting internally right now.

@stringreen  that was exactly my thinking from the start. The person who tipped me off to this component has the same amp and says there’s excellent synergy (we both agreed synergy is very important).

@ihasaguy that what I was aiming for. What’s swaying me to this other manufacturer is that my friend said it has excellent synergy with our amp (we have the same amp).

i won’t be able to audition so it’s a leap of faith. 

@verdantaudio  the person who brought this to my attention said the one I was originally looking at IS very good but that the other brand was just better. 
So had I never heard that I would most likely have been very happy with the original. But it seems to me that one that does have synergy with my amp AND has the same basic sound signature but improved on it AND is a few hundred less would be a no brainer.
Not sure what craziness I’m fighting internally right now.

@stringreen  that was exactly my thinking from the start. The person who tipped me off to this component has the same amp and says there’s excellent synergy (we both agreed synergy is very important).

Yeah it seems like most systems are a mush mash of components chosen for sound. Which totally makes sense.

i think my dysfunction is that I feel like I’m not being patient and going for a less expensive device vs staying the course and following through on my vision. Even though it’s not the case it’s evidently better than what I had planned. I’m dysfunctional. It shows.

And for what it’s worth this will be my first tube component (regardless of which way I decided to go). This will replace a Schiit SYS in the signal chain so I’m even more scared/excited about making a mistake.

@lalitk  thanks. This particular piece is a tube preamp so I’m extra cautious as I’m aware of the role it plays in the overall tonality of the system. 

I fee like I win either way. I’m told both are very good and I’m coming from a very humble starting spot. Once I get confirmation on a single detail I’ll pull the trigger. It would be my first component bought this calendar year (other than a Topping D30). 
3 years in and I’d have 2 components bought. But this is why I decided on separates, to build as I go and replace the old with the new. That’s maybe one of the few life decisions I actually got right haha.

@verdantaudio its all single ended.

I reread this thread and realized I never mentioned which preamp I was contemplating. Duh

It’s the Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp

@wspohn  Its really about synergy. Buying gear from someone who makes all the pieces and shows them all performing together. But yes aesthetically I like a stack of gear from the same manufacturer, sure.

I am going to take the plunge on the Quicksilver. My first piece of tube gear and only the 2nd major piece to the system (its been 2 years since the last piece).

It runs 12AT7 tubes, not sure what comes with it but it'll be down the rabbit hole on tubes soon.

@wolf_garcia Shag carpeting in harvest gold? Lol