Please recommend Tube pre-amp(s)

Absolutely agree with all above re: conrad-johnson. I've been through a number of "names" in high-dollar tube and ss preamps, but eventually settled on the c-j 14, which is being replaced by the new 17LS or the 16. The c-j ART was my ultimate choice, but not within my budget. After owning a number of other preamps and auditioning more in the past six months, I have settled on connie jay as, overall, the most musically satisfying line stage preamps, regardless of make or price. There will be many recommendations here, all of which are valid within their context, but the ultimate decision-makers are 1) your ears, and 2) your budget. Good luck!

Re: Pjpoland's comments of 04.11. One of tube gear owner's pasttimes is "tube rolling"--auditioning tubes other than those supplied in original equipment--to find audio nirvana. As Plsl says 0n 04.12, we may revert to the manufacturer's choice because the preamp or amp was "voiced" with that particular brand/model tube and a different choice sounds no better, or many times degrades the sound. Again, what sounds good to one person may not to another, and that brings up the second point made by plsl--the difference in the way he and his wife hear a piece of equipment or a tube change, even though both enjoy a live performance together. I believe this is a common experience. My wife, as with the vast majority of females, has more acute hearing in the upper registers as we age, and is extremely sensitive to glare, grain and other artifacts produced by audio equipment. She listens closely and at length to any proposed equipment, speaker or wire purchase, as well as to different tubes I might try, and makes reasoned comments. If I change wire or tubes without her knowledge, she immediately notices any difference that may be apparent and will make comparisons. It's a medical fact that males tend to lose response to highs much earlier than females and as a rule, women tend to enjoy more pronounced bass than men. The continued deterioration in male hearing acuity may be responsible for some equipment and speakers having a pronounced or "bright" treble component that is immediately noticed by women, as the overwhelming majority of audio gear is designed by men. This brings up a third point--all reviews of audio gear appear to be done by males. How good is their hearing after the age of 10-12, which is considered by audiologists to be the pinnacle of audio acuity. It would be interesting to see the graphs of audiological tests taken by reviewers from the top audio magazines, and how their hearing ability compares to the 10 to 12-year-old ear. Such enlightenment might give us greater insight to their reviews.

Carl. How foolish of me to attempt any discussion of hearing anomalies, as you have the answers. It's unfortunate that few adults hear sounds to 20K as you do, and I'm sure all of us wish we, too, had "golden ears." Certainly many factors, including genetic makeup, job-associated noise, illness and other factors cause loss of hearing acuity. My comments were based on discussions with three respected audiologists when I sensed a softening of extreme highs in one ear and sought expert answers. As to "guys needing approval for audio expenditures from wives," I, like you, am sure this is an issue with some in the hobby. My wife comparing the sound of hardware or commenting on the difference in presentation has nothing to do with critical listening; it has to do with her perceptions as they compare to mine. The comment was made in reference to plsl's statement that he and his s.o. have different preferences in hardware--the raison d'tre we own different equipment. A final point: my wife doesn't garden, has no interest in high fashion apparel, and doesn't play golf. She does, however, listen to music on our system whenever she gets the chance--attentively and responsively--for the sheer enjoyment it offers. By the way, the hearing problem I referred to earlier cleared up. My last audiology graph was "normal." Good listening!