My 1st Tube Equipment Experience

They are supposed to be.  I'll check and let you know.

@jackd. I haven’t tried that but I will.  Thanks for the suggestions.

@noromance  In general I would agree.  The M12 is a too bright; I also don't use it's DAC, BluOS module, or phono inputs.  If the Heron doesn't pan out, I'll look for something else.  

With the Heron volume level set to 60 and the M22 gain set to Low, the sound was hollow.  With the Heron volume level set to 60 and the M22 gain set to Mid, everything opened up.  The detail is there, and the sound is so much more musical with a wider soundstage than the M12.  The M12 is a good piece, but as my system has evolved, the Heron fits soooo much better.

While the hiss is still slightly there, it is less with the M22 gain set to Mid.  I’m satisfied (at least for now).

This preamp has no gain setting that I can find, at least on the outside.  My speakers are Tannoy 8 dcti.  And yes, I have to put my ear to the tweeter to hear the hiss.  

I like the Heron paired with the M22 v2.  I’m hearing all of the detail I heard with the M12, without the “glare.” 

@jmolsberg.  I see said the blind man!

I'm not yet sure what mode the Heron is set to.  I like what I hear now, but I'm definitely going to play with the M22 and Heron gain modes today to see what happens.  

Thanks to everyone for your help.  I'm really enjoying my 1st tube preamp experience.

All of my components are plugged into a Furman Elite-15 PF power conditioner. The Furman is plugged into a PS Audio receptacle, which is connected to a dedicated AC line.  I use WireWorld and VooDoo power cables; with a VooDoo cable to the Herron.

Regarding the AC filter, are you referring to something like this:
https://www.shenzhenaudio.com/da-t-ac-filter-high-performance-audiophile-super-power-purifier-filter-for-audio-and-video.html  

I was researching the viability of using an RCA to XLR cable, with RCA on the Herron and XLR on the M22.  Might that help, or is it a bad idea.

@jmolsberg.  I bought it used.  The VTPH-2A would be a nice addition I’m sure - if I could only sneak it in the house without my wife noticing (:

Herron gain was set to Low.  I set it to High and left the M12 at Mid.  I had to lower the volume to around 35.  Sounds OK, but I like it better the way it was.  I’m going to play with different combinations later today.  Of course, the tweeter hiss is a little louder in the High position.

@atmasphere. Thanks for insight and advice.  

The Tubadour III looks interesting, the Tubadour Signature edition even more so.  Audio Mirror's trial period makes this even more interesting. 

@jmolsberg   Thanks for the suggestion.

@atmasphere I'm also wondering how much better a Herron VTPH-2H would sound than my Parasound JC3 junior :)

I've finally found my sweet spot with the Herron and NAD settings.  The Herron gain is set to low; the NAD M22 v2 gain is set to mid.  Now I understand why many here have recommended a tube preamp and SS poweramp.  I'm quite happy with the Herron/NAD combination.

I also re-positioned my speakers.  I have a small 11x12 listening room.  I placed the Tannoy's 36" from the back and side walls, and toed them in about 3/4 of an inch.  My two listening chars are a little more than equidistant between the speakers.  No more glare and I can listen for hours with no music fatigue.  I'm finally enjoying digital music as much as analog. 

Now I'm wondering what a better DAC would do.  I have a Mytek Liberty, which sounds pretty good with my current setup.  My planning budget is ~ $2.5K.  Suggestions anyone?

@rodman99999. Understand.  Thanks, I’ll PM you tomorrow.

Run the Herron directly from the wall outlet.

Why?

@rodman99999 I’m new to tubes and have never rolled tubes. All 6 tubes in the Herron VTSP-3A are of the type 6922.  What's different about the one's you are offering?

My Tubadour Signature arrived today.  The DAC came expertly packed.  The build quality is excellent and it looks good.  And, it was a pleasure doing business with Vlad.

Out of the box, the Tubadour sounds much better than my Liberty DAC. It should considering it cost more than twice as much.  I didn’t know what to expect; better sounding for sure, but in comparison, this DAC is in a different league.

The Tubadour sound is lush, more detailed, with a wider soundstage.  I fits very well with my existing equipment.  I can’t imagine how much better it will sound once it’s broken in.  I plan to do some serious listening over the next couple of weeks.  

I’ll be selling my Mytek Liberty DAC starting tomorrow :-)

@jmolsberg  Thank you for mentioning the Tubadour DAC.  Next up, a better phone preamp than my Parasound JC3 Jr.  I think I see a Herron  VTPH-2A in my Christmas stocking.

A quick follow-up after a half-day of listening to music with the Tubadour DAC in my system.  I get the best SQ with the Herron pre-amp gain set to Hi and the NAD pwr amp gain set to Lo.  (With the Liberty, the Herron was set to Lo and the NAD to Mid.)  

I've also noticed a larger difference in sound volume when I switch between my analog and digital sources (Analog: Technics SL-1200G w/ Ortofon Quintet Black/Parasound JC3 Jr; Digital: Innous Zenith MKII/ sonicTransporter with Roon DSP/Tubadour DAC.)  In summary, at the same volume setting, when I switch between inputs, the digital music is noticeably louder.  With the Liberty DAC, the music was also louder, but there was much less of a difference.

I was thinking of adding an Ortofon ST-7 SUT to get more analog gain, or buying a better phone pre.  Thoughts anyone?

@noromance  That's good food for thought.  I have to increase the volume, but the vinyl sounds awesome.

@atmasphere I'm also wondering how much better a Herron VTPH-2H would sound than my Parasound JC3 junior :)

I finally purchased a Herron VTPH-2A. As it say's on Keith's site, "Immediately you know!"  As recommended in the manual, I started listening without loading plugs.  Paired with my Herron VTSP-3A(r02) pre amp, out of the box, everything is better than the JC3jr, but, I wasn't blown away by the sound.  After a few days, I tried a couple of different loading plugs.  When I installed the 500 plug, the difference in SQ was everything I could hope for.  The sound is rich and full, with much better imaging, sound stage, and definition. 

I have a Technics SL1200G w/ Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge. For the last several days, I've been listening to my old Marvin Gaye, Maze, War, etc., albums that I've had for over 40 years and have played many times on other TT/system setups.  It's hard to put into words how much better they sound.  I certainly expected improvement. I had no idea how much better it would be.  I am one happy camper!

Expensive is relative.  Having said that, I felt the same way.  I was fortunate enough to find a used mint condition one at a very good price.