Hello Richmon,
I am not much into tube rolling anymore, but I seem to remember owners saying the RCA gray glass 6sn7 had a sweet midrange. As for the phono stage, IT IS WORLD CLASS! This is what Mick's preamps are known for. Get the best analog setup you can and you will be rewarded in the sound. I am using a VPI Aries 2 EXTended with the VPI JMW 12.5 arm and a ZYX Yatra cartridge. KILLER SOUND! I also have a Modded Sony SCD-1 SACD player. It can't hold a candle to my analog setup. Mick's phono stage will also handle the lowest moving coil cartridge you can find with no trouble. Mine is .24mv and I have tons of gain. You have a preamp that is worthy of the best associated equipment.
Have Fun! |
Thanks Zarco,
I am really happy that so many people have enjoyed their Supratek products. I wish someone would get their Malbecs so I could hear some impressions of them. Zarco, that is amazing that you got got preamp in such a short time! Enjoy! |
Have a great time at Disney World Kgturner. Hopefully your new TOY will be on it's way to you soon. I waited 11 months for my Cortese! |
Baranyi,
I asked Mick the same thing. He says the new amps are better. |
I have never found Supratek preamps to sound "forward" or "in your face". This is what I love about Mick's preamps, they are very good at conveying the music without adding to it. If the recording is bad, you will know it. If the recording is great, you will be in heaven.
If you guys are not listening to analog through your Supratek's, I highly recommend that you start. As good as the line stage is, the phono stage is the real gem. I am ALWAYS able to relax more when listening to LP's. They just have a more organic sound to them.
Maril555, I believe the "hard" sound that you are hearing must have to do with lack of break in. Remember, these preamps only get better with time. This is why so many people throughout the thread have recommended not tube rolling for the first 200 hours.
When I had my Syrah, I used to tube roll, but now that I have my Cortese, I just don't feel the need. It is fun to do for a while, but Mick tunes these preamps to the tubes he puts in them, and I trust his judgement. I own various 6sn7's, VT-231's, but what I use in the Cortese is EH 6sn7's. They sound great and you won't go broke buying tubes. |
Congrats Kgturner! I am as excited as I am sure you are. That is great news. WOW, what a Christmas present. Be sure to keep the rest of us posted.
tom |
Kgturner,
Has your Christmas present from Australia arrived yet, or is it in customs "hell". |
Ooslik,
I would have ordered a Chenin if I were you. The phono stage in Mick's preamp will be much better than the Phonomena you are using. I keep telling people that order Supratek preamps that they should order the pre WITH the phono stage. This is what Mick is famous for. As good as his line stages are, the phono stage is PURE KILLER! My recommendation would be to change your order to a Chenin and get rid of the Phonomena. |
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone on the thread. I am just happy that I have been able to inform this many people of these great Supratek products. We are always happy to welcome more people into the Supratek family. A big thanks to Mick for building the best audio out there! |
Anyone out there besides Kgturner that has Malbecs ordered? |
Thanks for your support of my recommendation to go with the Chenin Larry. I recommend getting the built in phono stage with any of the Supratek preamps even if you are not playing LP's. The reasons are, as Larry said, better resale, the additional cost of the phono stage is a steal!, and if you hear what the phono stage sounds like, you will be buying LP's. |
Has anyone used the SRA (Silent Running Audio) VR series 3 isolation bases under your Supratek preamp? I spoke to Kevin at SRA and he has made some for Supratek owners. I am using one under the main unit of my Cortese and the sound is nothing short of amazing! The base I am using is actually made for my Berning amp, but I wanted to see what it would do under the Cortese. This is a bigger improvement than any amount of tube rolling I have ever done. I am going to order one for the pre and one for the power supply. |
Hi Mark (stiltskin),
My system also sets on 2 Canadian Rock Maple stands! And I have been using a 4" thick Mapleshade platform with tennis balls under it for may amp (which sets on the floor), but I recently pulled out the Rock Maple amp stand that came with my racks. It is coupled to the floor by heavy brass pointed cones. The sound of the amp is much better with this setup than it was with the 4"mapleshade. The SRA iso base is still best under the Berning amp. |
Stiltskin,
The SRA iso bases are not cheap. $600 for each base for the Cortese. The improvement in sound that I heard was greater than any NOS tubes I have used and I don't have to worry about the iso bases becoming microphonic or going bad. Between Tung Sol round plates and 350B's you could easily spend as much as the iso bases cost. Keep in mind that the base I am experimenting with is not even made for the Cortese! Kevin custom builds each base for the piece of equipment it will be used with. He has a huge data base which tells him the dimensions, weight , and distribution of weight for components.
On music that was not dynamic, the iso base did not exaggerate, but it made the music very fluid. The music flowed and was very relaxing. I could have listened all night with no fatigue. On music that was dynamic, the "slam" factor was staggering! Notes seemed to trail off forever. Attack and decay of notes was more noticeable. I could play music at higher listening levels, and yet the sound never got hard. I guess this was because the iso base was doing a better job of isolating the tubes for vibration. Also keep in mind that my equipment rack sets on a concrete slab floor covered with wall to wall carpet. I would have thought that alone would have aided in isolating vibration. I would think the effects would be even greater on a suspended floor. |
Hello Ooslik,
Were you able to change your order with Mick?
Happy New Years to everyone!
Tom |
Thanks Rick000,
Please do let us know what your impressions are when you receive them. |
Just spoke with Kevin Tellekamp at SRA. As Larry mentioned, Kevin does not feel it is necessary, nor does he recommend using anything in conjunction with the iso bases.
Just ordered mine for my Cortese. Should have them in a couple of weeks. I will let everyone know my impressions.
Larry, Kevin said to tell you hello. |
To clarify, I do not own the SRA that has been under my Berning. It belongs to a friend of mine. The reason I am getting one for my Cortese first is because the rock maple amp stand that I am using with brass pointed feet, is about 75% as good as the SRA. Don't get me wrong, I plan on getting one for the Berning too, but the Mapleshade brass cones under my Cortese are not even close to the sound I am getting from the SRA (keep in mind that the SRA I am using under the Cortese is NOT made for it), so things should only get better. I am sold on the SRA iso bases. I will eventually get one for my turntable and cd player. The reason I am starting with the preamp is because the Cortese is so amazing to start with and it affects the sound of both analog and digital. I hope to have the bases in a couple of weeks. I will post my results.
|
Hello Mike,
If you are using a Oracle TT, why did you order the Chardonnay instead of the Chenin (with the phono stage)? I continue to advise people to get Mick's preamps with the phono stage. His phono stage is amazing and well worth the extra money.
As for my speakers, I use Gallo Nucleus Reference 2's (the one's with the 2 stacked balls on the barcelona stands). The new Gallo reference 3's sound great too, but I prefer the reference 2's. You can do a lot better than your Polks these days.
Glad you have enjoyed the thread. I am sure you will enjoy your Supratek preamp, but as I said, You would be hard pressed to get a better phono preamp at any price. With the Chenin, you are getting a world class phono stage for $400!!!! |
Hello Kgturner,
Thanks very much for the first impressions of the Malbecs. Man I wish I lived closer to you and I would bring the Berning down for a head to head comparison. Many of the improvements that you pointed out are the same as I heard from the use of the Silent Running Audio iso base when it is under the Berning or when it is under the Cortese. I heard more impact to the music, more space between instruments, small things that were previously hidden now clearly in their own space. This is very interesting. I have ordered the iso bases for the Cortese and it's power supply. I will post my findings when I get them.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Does the buzzing come from both speakers? |
Kgturner,
If the buzz is coming through both speakers at the same sound level, then I don't see how it would be a problem with the amps. Each amp would have to have the same problem. Not much chance of that. You may be right about your speakers being so efficient causing the problem. My speakers are only 88db. I think the problem could be solved by sending the Malbecs to me! |
Before I discovered Supratek, I was using a Audible Illusions 3A preamp. I was a very nice preamp with a good phono section, but not in the same league as my Supratek Syrah, or my Cortese. Glad to see all the new names in the Supratek family. Welcome to the fold.
Paulfobrecht, when I ordered my Cortese, I gave Mick my ss# because some of the people on the thread told me it would help in going through customs. I got some hassles from DHL too. Same deal, wanting "proof" of my ss#. It delayed things for a few days. Once you get your preamp and listen for the first time, you will forget all about any delay in getting it.
Thanks The Chops. Just be sure to get a high quality pair of speakers that will help bring out what the Supratek is capable of.
To all of you that are playing your Suprateks for the first time. Just enjoy for a while. They sound great out of the box, but they will only get better. It takes a minimum of 100 hours for break in. Full break in is probably more like 200 hours. I do not recommend tube rolling until the preamp is through it's break in period. I know tube rolling is fun, so have at it! I did plenty of it with my Syrah, but when I got my Cortese, I stuck with the stock tubes that Mick put in. I loved the way the Cortese sounded with the stock tubes and I just got tired of the price of NOS tubes. I am spending that money on music.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Supratek. |
The Cortese is just more resolving. The Cortese sounds better with stock tubes than the Syrah did with NOS tubes. |
Has anyone got the Mondeuse amps yet? |
I used both the 6106 and the metal base GZ34 in my Syrah. I liked them both, but for the difference in price the 6106 is a bargain compared to the metal base GZ34. I put a 6106 in my Cortese to see how it would sound and after a few minutes it started making some weird sounds so I took it out and put the stock tube back in.
Mick has told me many times that he does not like NOS tubes. He said that the prices people charge and get for them are crazy. The last time I spoke to him about NOS tubes (which was a good while back) he said he was not going to be able to cover damage caused by NOS tubes that are not direct replacements for the stock tubes. |
I just received my SRA iso bases for my Cortese and it's power supply. I will post my findings in a few days, but what little listening I have done indicate to me that these are some of the best isolation devices you will ever find! |
I just finished booking a room in Denver for the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. I hope some of you guys will be able to come to it. I would love to meet you in person. |
Hello Frank,
I have to agree with you on the SRA bases. I trust Kevin and his excellent designs. I too will leave well enough alone with my SRA bases. I have learned to trust Mick with his tube choices in the Supratek preamp also. I am done with tube rolling. I am having too much fun listening to music now. |
Well, I have been living with my new SRA iso bases for a few days now and m impressions are as follows.
I liken the sound to a jazz band that has been together for so long that each member knows exactly what the others are about to do next, taking on a very "tight" sound. That is what the iso bases that are under my Cortese and Berning amp sound like. They "tighten" up the music giving bass a very powerful, but controlled sound. Mid-range has a "you are there" feel to it. Vocalists seem to be right in the room with you. Highs sparkle, but are not bright. The sound takes on a more "live" feel to it. A couple of things that I really like is that the soundstage on most recordings seems wider (far beyond the speakers). Depth also improves on some recordings. I have a percussion cd by an artist named Mino Cinelu. This is a great reference cd that I use a lot. With the iso bases I was amazed at the power that the percussion took on. You could not only get a feel for the size of the drums Mino is hitting, but you can get a good idea of the size of the room that the recording took place in. That is really cool! I could go on and on, but I am sure that you get the idea that I love these bases. I highly recommend them for use under the Suprateks. I don't pretend to know how they work, but they DO work. I hope to isolate all of my equipment with the VR3 bases. |
Dev,
I totally agree with Stevem1960. Mick is fantastic about taking care of his customers. No way it would take weeks for Mick to get back to someone with a problem. He is very quick to answer e-mails. This sounds very fishy and malicious to me. Countless people in this thread have bought Supratek preamps without ever hearing them and I know of NONE who were disappointed. |
Hello Kgturner,
Hi Kevin, I hope you were not affected by the tornado's that hit the south last week. I could not remember if you lived in Alabama or Florida. Let us know if you are alright. |
Hi Kevin,
Glad to you that you and your family are ok. I feel sorry for thoses that were affected by the tornado's. |
I have never experienced any glare from my system when using the Syrah that I previously owned or from the Cortese that I now own. I am using a Berning ZH270 amp which is very revealing of any problems in the system. Everything sounds fantastic to my ears. As I have said before, tube rolling is a wast of time and money for me in my current system. I have not found any benefit from using NOS tubes in my Cortese. The biggest improvement that I have made to the sound of the Cortese has come from buying SRA iso bases for the Cortese and for it's power supply. I feel these are the best isolation bases you can get at any price and they have taken my system to new levels that I never dreamed of. This is the best $1200 I ever spent on my system. I will say that when I owned my Syrah I did feel that I benefited from NOS tubes, but I don't feel they are needed for great sound from the Cortese. |
When you take into account the hundreds of positive comments from this thread and the many happy customers that Mick has had over the past few years, I don't think that Mick has to worry about his business going down the drain, or even being affected by a couple of people that hear a glare in their system and attribute it to Supratek preamps. I am sure that the satisfaction rate for Supratek is over 99%. I believe these are the best preamps in the world per dollar spent. I don't believe the 2 guys that hear a glare in their system are saying this to bad mouth Supratek or to sabotage Mick's business. Many people have offered ideas to try to get rid of this glare. That is what I love about this thread. People try to help each other out if a problem arises. Bottom line is if you cannot solve the problem (and I hope you can), sell your Supratek and buy another preamp. If I were considering buying a Supratek for the first time and I had read even a third of this thread, I certainly would not let a couple of non glowing comments keep me from purchasing. I would advise any potential buyers to not be turned off by a problem that 2 people are having when hundreds of people all over the world sing nothing but praise for the sound of the most musical preamps in the world, Supratek preamps. |
Hello Stiltskin,
I have heard that the Roller Blocks are very good. I have a friend that has some. I will see if I can borrow them. I plan on getting a SRA iso base for both the Sony scd-1 and for my VPI Aries 2 extended. The SRA has done more for the sound of my Cortese and for my Berning amp than any NOS tubes I have ever put in either one including Tung Sol round plates. My JMW 12.5 tonearm is wired with stock with in the arm and Valhalla wire in the connector box. I love the sound I get from this hybrid setup.
Pablovila, glad to hear that your Malbecs are on their way to you. Please do keep us updated on the sound. What amp are they replacing? What is in the rest of your system?
If I can ever talk my wife into letting me keep my Berning ZH270, I will get a pair of Malbecs too. I just can't bring myself to give up the Berning. Man, I would love to be able to do a side by side camparison of the Malbecs and the Berning! |
Stevem1960,
I can relate to what you are saying about "leaving well enough alone". This is the exact reason why I refuse to tube roll with my Cortese. I love the sound I get with the stock tubes. This is the way Mick set the preamp to sound and it sounds fantastic to my ears. I am getting that "magic" sound from my system now. I am not going to screw things up by trying to improve the sound with NOS tubes! I hope everyone can find the magic in their system. It is there somewhere. If and when you find it, leave things alone and enjoy the music! |
Oh, I forgot. My Sony SCD-1 is on it's way back to me from having the latest VSEI upgrades done to it. Oh No! I hope I have not lost my magic!
I totally agree with you Steve M. You can buy a lot of great music for what NOS tubes cost. |
Pablovila,
Looks like you have a very nice system there. I will be very interested in hearing your impressions of the Malbecs. |
I agree Stevem1960,
I think messing with the umbilical cord is just asking for trouble. If these preamps are as good as we all think they are, why do we feel we have to find ways to improve them. |
Hello Fiddler,
Any update on how the V-Caps are sounding? |
Hello Opus88,
Glad to hear that things are back on track for you. |
Did anyone else ever get their Malbecs or Monduse amps? |
Am I crazy or did I read somewhere that Mick is working on a DAC for cd players? |
It was in an e-mail with Mick in Dec. 2004 that he said he was working on a DAC. He was getting so many orders for preamps that he said he would have to put it on the back burner. I hope he makes it a reality. |
Heard for Mick about the DAC. He said he will not be putting one into production because of so much competition and he can't get the chip he likes anymore.
Bummer! |
This has been discussed on the thread many times, but I will say again. Whichever model of Supratek preamp you choose to buy GET THE PHONO STAGE! It does not add that much to the cost and the resale will be higher than any of the line stage preamps. As great as you may have found the line stage to be, the phono stage is where the real magic happen in Supratek's.
There have been numerous times that someone has bought a line stage pre only to regret that they did not get the phono stage. |
I agree that the Tung Sol round plates are the best sounding line stage tubes in my Cortese, but when you factor in the cost these things are going for these days, I will stay with the EH 6sn7's (a true audio bargain). As Ecclectique says, you may have to gothrough several pairs to get a really quiet matched set. I just don't have the money or the interest in paying high prices and hoping I will get a good pair. The EH 6sn7's work fine for me. |
Hi Guy's,
I have to say, I am a little disappointed that there has not been much talk or raves about the Malbec's or the Montuse. I guess Mick's amps are not catching on. |
It's good to start hearing some feedback on the Malbec's. If I did not own the Berning ZH270, I would be jumping on getting the Melbac's. The Berning just sounds so fantastic with my Cortese. I would love to be able to do a direct comparison of the Berning and the Malbec's, but I don't have the money lying around to order the Malbec's. I think Mick is going to send a pair of Malbec's to a reviewer in the USA. Maybe 6Moons. |
Thanks for the news Tim. I guess I am going to have to put the V-Caps in my Cortese. I am not big on modifications, but everyone seems to love these V-Caps. |
