2. amps-preamps
  3. 1016931418

Preamp Deal of the Century

If anyone is looking for a true "World Class" preamp at a very fair price..heed my advice. I just recieved a Supratek Syrah preamp that was hand built by Mick Maloney in Western Australia, and it is absolutely beautiful! This preamp is the best deal you will ever find. I would put it up against any preamp out there for both looks and sound. Price? $2500 for the Syrah (includes Killer Phono stage). Not into phono? Try the Chardonney line stage for $2100. Don't get me wrong, I am not associated with this company. I am just a very happy owner! This preamp is VERY dynamic, yet liquid. It conveys the sound of music better than any other preamp that I have ever heard! You can check out the Supratek website at www. cantech.net.au
slowhand

Showing 5 responses by curriemt11

curriemt11
220 posts
 
Interesting comment regarding the microphony of the Cortese. My Cortese was, by far, the most microphonic preamp I have ever owned. I now own an Aesthetix Janus, which is an all around better preamp.
curriemt11
220 posts
 
Bwhite, I have to disagree. I owned the Cortese for a year and half, went though inumerable 6SN7s and 6922s, including some selected tubes purchased from Kevin Deal, and still the problem was there. By the way, three different types of tube dampers made their way into the system as well. Even in the best case, it was still an exceedingly microphonic preamp.

The Saturn series from Aesthetix had some early teething problems, no doubt about it. These appear to have been solved. In my opinion, the Janus is a superior preamp to the Cortese in almost every regard.
curriemt11
220 posts
 
Bwhite, I wasn't "lead to believe that the Cortese was microphonic". It WAS microphonic. Tap the top plate and hear it ring like a chime! Thump the volume control and just listen to it reverberate through the room! Tizziness in the upper mids and highs at anything greater than moderate volume levels. The Cortese is a very good preamp, but dead silence is not one of its assets.
curriemt11
220 posts
 
Bwhite, I do not know what the vintage of my Cortese was, as I was the second owner. If I had to guess, I would say mid-2003. I suppose that I should have qualified my statements by saying that MY Cortese had these problems rather than generalizing.

As for the Janus, I have one of the earliest ones and have had no problems whatever. What evidence do you have that the later units do not sound as good as the earlier? FWIW, my experience doesn't match that. An audio buddy has a new Janus that we have auditioned in my system. I cannot tell the difference, except that his is ever so slightly quieter in the phono stage.
curriemt11
220 posts
 
I checked the date on the feedback from my Cortese's first owner. I was wrong...bought the preamp from him in early 2003 and he said that had had it for about 8 months, so build date was early-mid 2002. Sorry about that.
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