I auditioned both preamps thoroughly in my system (Thiel 3.7, Primare A32 and Marantz 7s1, Supra cables. I also auditioned ARC Reference 3, CJ ACT 1, Aesthetix calypso and Pass XP10. Surprisingly to me, I thought the Modwright 36.5 exceeded them all. The integration of the sound and the articulate low frequencies (unlike the VK51SE which had a strong bass but not the clarity) made the decision easy. I thought based on reviews that the Ref 3 was going to be my choice, but it sounded good but not great in my system; in fact, I would have been hard pressed to hear a lot of difference between the Calypso and the Ref 3. Proves once again there is NO substitution for auditioning in your system in your room. Given that there are 36.5s on the used market for under $3000 I think it is a tremendous value. Build quality is superb and I particularly like having a volume knob again.
