Your gear looks awesome. I couldn’t find any specs on the website. Can you please provide a link? Thank you!
Preamp Deal Of The Century- Update
When the Deal of the Century topic started back in 2002, I never imagined it would still be going in 2017.
I'm not surprised that I still love designing and building preamps though , its been my passion for nearly 30 years now, and I never tire of the thrill of firing up a new preamp.
A lot has happened since then, over 500 6SN7 preamps built, followed by the 6SN7/12B4A , the first commercially available DHT preamp- the 300B, followed by the multi use 300B/45/PX4 preamp, then the 101D , and finally the last DHT 4P1L model , and now back to the 6SN7 in a new and exciting design.
I stepped away from full time production in 2009 ,with an employment offer to good to refuse, but I continued to do custom preamps and development work, in conjunction with my friend Kevin Covi. In addition to the occasional service work when rarely needed.
We developed hundreds of designs, preamps, power amps, dacs and I built most of them, I wasn't active on the forums, but my soldering iron was hot, and there were some nice sounds coming from my listening room.
Now in late 2017 I have the best preamplifier design I've ever heard, anywhere. 5 years in the making, its based on the best of all the thousands of different circuit configurations I've used over the years, and is a preamp that does everything well .
Just as liquid and musical as the DHT preamps, without the quirkiness of microphonics etc. Very accurate, but highly enjoyable to listen to. I'm really proud of this baby and keen to get it out into the world.
The same beautiful looks with copper chassis in chrome and Jarrah wood. Same extraordinary value, spend 4 times more, get less.
Ive got a brand new workshop and listening room and now building state of the art preamps fulltime .
At the moment I'm just building the 6SN7 preamp in linestage and linestage with phono , with some stock available, and next year I'll be introducing an entry level preamp at under $2000.
And a stand-alone phono stage .
I'm doing a daily tube audio blog where I discuss all things tube , and phono, or whatever is interesting - something new each day.
www.supratekaudio.blogspot.com
and my web site
www.supratek.com.au
I'm looking forward to getting back into the audio world , meeting old and new friends, and contributing to this great passion we share.
I'm not surprised that I still love designing and building preamps though , its been my passion for nearly 30 years now, and I never tire of the thrill of firing up a new preamp.
A lot has happened since then, over 500 6SN7 preamps built, followed by the 6SN7/12B4A , the first commercially available DHT preamp- the 300B, followed by the multi use 300B/45/PX4 preamp, then the 101D , and finally the last DHT 4P1L model , and now back to the 6SN7 in a new and exciting design.
I stepped away from full time production in 2009 ,with an employment offer to good to refuse, but I continued to do custom preamps and development work, in conjunction with my friend Kevin Covi. In addition to the occasional service work when rarely needed.
We developed hundreds of designs, preamps, power amps, dacs and I built most of them, I wasn't active on the forums, but my soldering iron was hot, and there were some nice sounds coming from my listening room.
Now in late 2017 I have the best preamplifier design I've ever heard, anywhere. 5 years in the making, its based on the best of all the thousands of different circuit configurations I've used over the years, and is a preamp that does everything well .
Just as liquid and musical as the DHT preamps, without the quirkiness of microphonics etc. Very accurate, but highly enjoyable to listen to. I'm really proud of this baby and keen to get it out into the world.
The same beautiful looks with copper chassis in chrome and Jarrah wood. Same extraordinary value, spend 4 times more, get less.
Ive got a brand new workshop and listening room and now building state of the art preamps fulltime .
At the moment I'm just building the 6SN7 preamp in linestage and linestage with phono , with some stock available, and next year I'll be introducing an entry level preamp at under $2000.
And a stand-alone phono stage .
I'm doing a daily tube audio blog where I discuss all things tube , and phono, or whatever is interesting - something new each day.
www.supratekaudio.blogspot.com
and my web site
www.supratek.com.au
I'm looking forward to getting back into the audio world , meeting old and new friends, and contributing to this great passion we share.
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I'm doing a daily tube audio blog where I discuss all things tube , and phono, or whatever is interesting - something new each day. Your blog looks like a wonderful(!) source of information, and I've enjoyed reading numerous posts this morning. I was looking for a way to subscribe in order to get your daily posts by e-mail, but I couldn't find that option -- if it exists? and now back to the 6SN7 in a new and exciting design Would you be willing to share the reasons for your selection (now and over time) of 6SN7 over similar alternatives? I ask this after seeing your 12/08/16 post on 6F8 adapters (which didn't come to a firm conclusion) ... and after having had good luck replacing 6SN7 with 6F8 and "doubles" of some of the same/similar single triodes like 6J5, 2C22/7193, etc. You seem unafraid of specifying tubes that aren't available as new production, and the financial economies are so appealing... Thanks! |
@mickm, Welcome back and good luck! Like you, I’ve been involved in the this business, but do so well at my "day job" that it would be beyond stupid to pursue audio. Yet that siren call remains always, yes? Have a friend who bought one of your preamplifiers when you first released them. Beautiful cosmetics and great sound. Here’s hoping you make just a big a splash this time around! |
Charliee The sound of a Supratek preamp is mostly about the power supply- its powerful enough to use in a power amp, and with chokes , tube shunt regulation for the HT, regulation for the heaters etc, its hard to make the power supply smaller. I can make long connecting cord so power supply can be stored on floor etc. The LCR is something else again - I honestly think its the highest form of playback . I try to explain it here http://supratekaudio.blogspot.com/2018/06/how-did-it-come-to-this.html |
@bpoletti Due respect, but it appears to me that Mick is answering questions in a forum about his products. I imagine most interested people would find his posts informative and helpful, especially since he is simply updating an old and very popular discussion thread. I guess I just don’t see the offense here. One might just as well ask why you are promoting Herron gear--and I am a big fan of Herron myself-- in a thread about Supratek preamps? |
@bpoletti Yes, I read it. As I mentioned before, this is an update of an old thread from sixteen or so years ago. I guess you could see at as self-promotion, but I think it would be of interest to many people who bought and loved Supratek amps and preamps. I, for one, had a Supratek preamp back in the day and thought it was excellent, and I am glad to see Mick back in the game. Now if he uses the discussion forum repeatedly for self-promotion--as some are doing these days--then I think your accusation might carry more weight, but I see nothing at all wrong with this update on the Preamp of the Century thread. |
Thought I’d give everyone here a first look: I’ve picked up a (used) VAC preamp and am soon going to be selling my much enjoyed 6SN7-only Cabernet, which was built about six months ago (PSU is Chardonnay, but the parts difference is minimal and, according to Mick, one cannot hear the difference). It will come with the following A quality tubes, all with years of good service remaining: Treasure Globe 6SN7 from Premium Vacuum tubes (Canada); early 1960’s RCA 6L6GC’s; and Sophia Electric 274B Aqua. Also included will be the Revelation Audio Cryo-Silver umbilical,, the remote and an SR Orange fuse ((if the buyer would like). I haven’t decided on a price, but it will reasonably reflect what’s included; the bargain will be in the quality and the musical enjoyment, which will be a decided improvement on the already fine stock unit that Mick provides (I’ll include the original umbilical and tubes too). Separate from that, during the pandemic the GM of Cables for Less built me an umbilical using very good quality Belden silver-tinted copper cable (same wire he builds head amps with). It’s not quite as good as the Revelation, which I picked early this year, but a vast improvement in all respects over the one that Supratek provides. Not looking for a lot for it. If maybe interested in either, send PM (don’t post here). |