My “Dream” system needs a preamp

Well the differences pre to pre would make sense of why mine is quiet with 7DJ8's and my friends has a low level hum..

I can strongly recommend Supratek.

Supratek Cabernet.  Just replaced my 2x expensive PS Audio BHK Signature pre with the Supratek and couldn't be happier.  

Hi scothurwitz...

So... I did purchase a Supratek but in the end decided to stay with the BHK.  The Supratek is nice but a bit to "polite" meaning it rounds off the leading edge of transients.  The version I had was the DHT.  Good balance but not in the same league as the BHK.  The tubes I have settled upon in the BHK are early 60's 7dj8's out of Germany but there are a number of very good tube options out there for reasonable money.  

My system is a 47 labs Pi tracer CD (oldie but goodie), Denafrips terminator and PS Audio DirectStream w/Bridge-II D-A streamers, of course the PS Audio BHK Pre, that's it for the front end.  The main amps are Coincident Frankenstein Mk-II 300B monoblocks driving BD-Design Orphean horns running full range plus a pair of Crown K2 amps bridged mono driving BD-Design 15" Reference Compact base speakers.

Let me know if I can help you further. 

No doubt that the Supratek was dead quiet and yes possibly the 6SN7 could have been a better fit than the DHT version but the synergy between my Coincident amps and the BHK is better than the Supratek… in my very high efficiency system where it is capable of very high dynamics the DHT Supertek was just not quick enough on it's feet.  FYI, the BHK is very sensitive to ICs.  I have a friend that tried the same  7dj8's as me in his BHK and they were noisy.  I put the same exact pair in my BHK and they are dead quiet.  So now I have a 2nd pair for backup.