Hi Baranyi,
I hope to catch you at the show.
Tom |
Since the unit is custom made you should be able to specify what you want as far as line inputs. Mine has CD, Aux, FM, Tape Out and Tape In, with 2 RCA outputs and 1 XLR (special request). |
BWhite e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago and said that he and some friends compared his Supratek to a $15,000 Conrad Johnson ART preamp. He said that they all agreed that the Supratek bested the CJ in every way, and I believe it. Yes it does sound as good as it looks! No kangaroo pouch, but the base is made of Australian Jarrah wood. |
I play more vinyl, but the line stage is also very good. I use a pioneer "stable platter" CD player. BWhite got the Chardonney which is the same preamp with linestage only and he told me it was the best that he has come across. For $2500 (line/phono), or $2100 (line only) they are a steal. Only down side is because they are hand built one at a time it can take some time to get it, but it is well worth the wait. Mine took 3 months, I think Brian got his in 4 weeks. If these were built in the US they would be going for much more. The Supratek website has a review of the unit by Mark Bucksath which was due to come out in Ultimate Audio before they went belly up. Mark really nails the sound of the Supratek in his review. |
Hi Brian, this is Tom. I bought a pr. of Sylvania VT-231's that are JAN from 1940's in the original boxes and they sound fantastic in my Syrah. I am also buying a pr. of Sylvania GTB's that I like the sound of. I think I have found Tungsol 5881's and a Mullard 5AR4 rectifier tube. Now if I can just find a pr. of WE417's for the phono stage. I love this preamp! |
Bmotorcycle and Jewel hasen, you will both be rewarded for your wait. I have been involved in high end audio for 25 years and this is the biggest single improvement that I have ever made to my system. It is that Good! I got frustrated with the wait also, but Mick will not be rushed. The quality of workmanship on my preamp is fantastic! My jaw dropped to the floor the first time I heard my Syrah and it is still on the floor. Everytime I listen to it (which is all the time) I just shake my head in amazement. Hang in there guys, you made a great choice! |
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BWhite is right, it is best to order the Supratek stock. Mick is a purist and as such he believes that the more "options" the more the possiblity of degrading the sound. I did not get a remote control on mine, but I did get the XLR's and they work fine. I also got 1 pr. of single ended outputs. Mick said that he had put on the wrong XLR's on a previous preamp, but he assured me that this problem had been corrected. Mine are the correct ones and they work great. Mick was putting a high/low gain switch on the preamp for the line stage because it has a lot of gain (possibly too much for some amps), but he is no longer doing this as the new parafeed design which he started producing with my unit does not need it. It is obvious to me that Mick is always working to improve the sound of the preamp. Mine was supposed to take 3 weeks to finish, but ended up taking close to 12 weeks, because he was working on a new design for the phono stage. The wait may be frustrating, but you will be rewarded with a work of art that is both beautiful to look at and to listen to. |
Bluebottle, this is slowhand. I have a Supratek Syrah. To answer your questions, the shipping cost me $130 to ship via Fed Ex which as I understand it is the only way Mick will ship. That price is very resonable for shipping a 48lb. piece of equipment from Australia. The customs fee was $152. The bill for that came about 6 weeks after I got the preamp. Yes the unit is supposed to handle long length ic's with no problems. The sound of the unit IS as good as everyone says! I have never enjoyed my system as much as I do now. |
I got my Syrah with the Jarrah Wood base and the polished chrome top. I could find NO bad spots or imperfections on the unit anywhere. My unit has worked beautifully from the time I opened it up and after 2 months, it only gets better! I agree with BWhite. I believe Micks quality control will only get better with time. |
Hang in there guys, I ordered my Syrah before everyone started ordering them and it took 12 weeks to get mine. My point is that although I know you guys are going nuts with all this waiting I am sure Mick is doing his best with all the orders he is getting. This preamp is a pure joy to listen to, and it only gets better with time. I have never heard an audio component tht sounds so natural. By the way, when I ordered mine Mick said it would take about 3 weeks and it turned into 12 weeks, but he was working on the new Parafeed design. Mine was the first to be shipped with this design. |
Hi guys,
I have had my Syrah for 4 months now and it is amazing! I no longer think so much about how the various pieces of equipment sounds. I just enjoy the music. This is the most "musical" piece of equipment that I have ever bought. I am still using the stock tubes except for the 6sn7's. I bought a pair of Tung-Sol round plate 6sn7's. Big improvement! I just bought a pair of Tung-Sol 5881's, but have not recieved them yet.
I understand that Fiddler is about to get his preamp. This should give the rest of you hope tht they are truly coming.
You can't rush Mick, but you will be rewarded in the end. |
Waltersalas,
I like your idea about sharing with other Supratek owners what the rest of our systems consist of. It would be a good idea to start a Supratek club (if we could stop listening to our preamps long enough). Here is my system:
Supratek Syrah preamp (Synergistic Research AC Master PC)
Tung-Sol 6sn7 round plates (line stage), Tung-Sol 5881's Power supply), Sylvania VT-231 JAN 1944's (in reserve).
Audio Research 100.2 power amp (TG Audio HRS PC)
Granite Audio 650 CD player (Granite Audio 555 PC)
VPI mk4 TT/JMW Memeorial Tonearm/Benz Glider cartridge
Turntable is modified with BDR mk4 cones repacing stock feet and BDR "cut down" cones on top of the 4 springs under the plinth. BDR record clamp.
Gallo Nucleus Reference speakers (MIT 750 plus speaker cord)
PS Audio line conditioner for digital
PowerVar line conditoner for analog.
MIT 330 plus2 IC between preamp and amp
TG Audio silver IC between preamp and cd player |
Aloha Warren, glad to hear that you recieved your preamp and that you are enjoying it. Hey Brian, I have a pair of Ken-rad Black Glass VT-231's on their way to me. They are in original military boxes. I will let you guys know how they sound. If they sound any better than my Tung-Sol 6sn7 Round Plates, I am not sure I can stand it! Six months with this preamp and I still can't stand to turn it off! |
Hi Jeff, the Tung-Sol 5881's have a more musical sound to my ears than the stock 5881's. The stock 5881's sound a little harsh and edgy compared to the Tung-Sols. I felt the stock 5881's were fine until I put in the Tung-Sols.The Tung-sols are smoother and get me closer to the music. When I first put the Tung-Sols in, I prefered the stock tubes because they sounded more dynamic, but after taking the time to compare the two, I was mistaking dynamics for the slight edge that the stock tubes create. As for my ARC 100.2, it is a solid state amp. You are mistaking it for the ARC VT-100mk2. I compared the two amps when I bought mine and prefered the SS 100.2. It has that nice liquid sound of tubes, but without the excessive heat and cost of replacing power tubes. |
There has been a lot of talk about tube rolling in the line stage and power supply, but has anyone done any tube rolling in the phono stage of the Syrah preamp, and if so, what have your results been? |
Hi Betcha, I am Using a Audio Research 100.2 SS amp with my Syrah. The amp is 100 wpc and sounds very sweet. I feel I get the sound of a good natural sounding tube amp without the hassles. I used to have an Audible Illusions M3A preamp, which I thought was great until I got my Syrah. The Syrah has a much more natural sound to it. The AA over emphisized bass compared th the Syrah which intigrates the highs, midrange, and bass much better. |
Hi Boschtb,
They match great with SS amps. Many of us who own Suprateks are using them with SS amps. I am using the Audio Research 100.2 SS amp, and it is a match made in heaven! |
Hey Fiddler, where did you get the Hal-O-Rings and how much did they cost? Does one ring per tube do the job? I have seen them somewhere, but I can't remember where. |
Twl, thanks for the info on the Hal-O-Tube dampers. I found the dealer that is selling them on Audiogon. I ordered a pair, and should have them sometime next week. I will keep you guys informed. |
Hi Rmml, the hal-o-tube dampers are well worth the price. They only cost $11.50 each, and have done a very good job of calming the microphonics. All the dynamics and musicality of the tubes are still in tact. The rings are worth their modest cost. |
I have a question for anyone who has one of the newer Syrah preamps with the adjustable gain control. Do you find that using this control affects the sound of the preamp negatively. Mick said that he put the control on the newer preamps because some people could not get enough range on the volume control because of the high gain of the phono stage. Dropping the gain gives more usable range on the volume, but he feels that the sound can suffer. I would like to hear from those who have this control on their preamps. Thanks. |
Thanks for the info Rockhead. I recently had my phono stage reconfigured for low output MC (which is the way Mick normally ships the Syrah). I had him ship mine for high output MC. I am using a Dynavector 20XL MC with .25mv output (which is pretty low), but this phono stage still has tons of gain. I do not want the sound to suffer though as it sounds fantastic as is, so I will not reduce the gain. Thanks again. |
Well guys, I have had the Mullard 6GK5's in my phono stage of the Syrah for a few days now and the results are more life and dynamics, along with a deeper soundstage. When a crash cymbal is hit it still has the power it had before, but now it is far behind the singer, as it should be. On another note, my Berning ZH270 amp just keeps getting better. I am in the process of a couple of uprgades, but how it can get any better I don't know. |
Well guys, I have paired my Syrah with a Berning ZH270 amp and I have to tell you that this is a match made in heaven. I have had the Berning for about a month now and I absolutely hate to turn my system off! The Berning gives you the option of running your CD player straight through the amp, but bypassing the Syrah is a BIG mistake. The Syrah adds more resolution and low level detail to the music. The Berning has such a low noise floor that details that I had been missing in the music are now extremely clear. What I really like about this combo is that NONE of the dynamics or details are lost at low listening levels. Both micro and macro dynamics are incredible! Soundstage width and depth is huge also. I had my doubts as to wheather 70wpc would give my Gallo reference speakers enough power, but that has not been a problem at all. I can't recommend this amp highly enough to owners of Supratek preamps. I am taking the amp over to a friends house soon and we are going to hook it up to his SoundLab M1 speakers. This is a true David and Goliath situation, but I am told the Berning sounds great with the Sound Labs. I will let you know how this combo sounds. Oh, get this, the Berning amp weighs only 10lbs. That's right, 10lbs. It also has 3 feedback positions to match to your speakers for proper damping of the woofers. David Berning is a true design genius, right up there with Mick Maloney! |
Tubegroover, I actually have the cryoed output NOS tubes and Brimmer 12at7's. They came with the amp when I bought it. I have been so blown away by the sound of the amp with the stock tubes that I am holding off on installing the NOS until later. What differences in sound did you notice from the ERS kit? On the subject of the Supratek, I agree with you, I love the phono stage of the Syrah, but am very surprised at just how good the line stage is. As much as I love vinyl and the sound of it, I will never be without a CD player. There is just too much great Jazz fusion music that I am discovering that cannot be had on vinyl. I will get around to installing the NOS tubes in the Berning later on. It gives me something to look forward to. I am told that GE 5865 5 star tubes are great in place of the stock 12au7's. Do you know where I can get any? I am in the process of buying some Mullard 6GK5's for my Syrah now. I would like to get some WE417's for the phono if I can find them. |
Tubegroover, let me know how the Amperex Bugle Boys sound compared to the Brimers and Tung Sols. |
What tubes are you guys using in the phono section of your Supratek preamps? I am still using the stock tubes, but I am in the process of getting Mullard 6GK5's. I know the Western Electric 417 is supposed to be good, but they are very expensive, if you can find them. Any other suggestions? |
Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on Supratek. I agree with you completely! Mick is a first rate guy. He was great to deal with and he does take care of his customers. He always answers e-mail quickly and in terms you can understand. I had hoped to buy his new Burgandy amps, but I am not able to afford them. I have spoken to Mick about them as he was designing and testing them. I am sure they sound as incredible as the pres do. Good news though, as I found an amp that I could afford that is a beautiful match to the Syrah. It is the David Berning ZH270 amp. Like the Supratek, it has a very clear, liquid sound. It is very neutral sounding with a beautiful midrange and bass that you would not believe is coming from a tube amp. I highly recommend this amp for Supratek pre owners who need more power than Mick's SET amps and can't afford the cost of the new Burgandy amp. By the way, I like Mick's new website. You just can't go wrong with Mick Maloney and his beautiful equipment. I do however feel that NOS tubes do make a difference in the sound of my Syrah, as long as the tubes are quiet. Steve, you are a very lucky guy, getting to test Mick's designs and being able to know and deal with such a great guy directly. |
I agree Steve. You can go overboard on spending money on tubes, which is why I wait for a good deal to show up. With the Ken-Rad, Tung-Sol, and Sylvania tubes, I feel I have a good choice of sound in the line stage. I have a Bendex 6106 coming to me to try in the Rectifier. I am told it is much better than the Mullard GZ34 I am now using. We shall see. I think the reason people love tube rolling the Supratek is because the pre is so sensitive to tube changes tht you can tailor the sound to your system. I think we will all agree that Mick's preamps and amps for that matter, will stand up against anything out there. You may be able to buy better, but you are sure going to spend a lot of money to do it. |
Well guys, I can't believe it, 500 posts on this thread! When I posted this thread last year I had no idea it would become what I believe is the longest in Audiogon history. I am so glad that I have been able to help spread the word about Mick, his great company, and his beautiful looking and sounding products. Let's all raise a glass to Mick! Gaday Mates! |
Hi guys, this is the first time I have checked on this thread in a while. Whow! sounds like some controversy. When I started this thread, it was to let everyone know what a great product Mick had. I am sorry to see this controversy come up, but let me put my 2 cents worth in and I will shut up. I have always felt Mike was a great guy to deal with and very fair in his dealings. Was this the best way to tell people of his new designs? I don't know. What I do know is that you will never own the "best" of anything for very long. All designers, including Mick will always strive for more. As for me, I still own my original Syrah and have NO plans to get rid of it. I have mated it to a Berning ZH270 amp and that match makes beautiful music for me. The first thing I do each day when I get home from work is turn on the the hi fi. I hope all of you find that magical piece of equipment that "does it" for you. The Syrah is that piece of equipment for me. I don't care what happens to the resale. I am just happy listening to great music! You are all a great bunch of guys and I wish you all the best. |
OK Supratek Syrah owners, what is your favorite tube compliment in your preamp? I am using Ken-Rad Black Glass 6SN7' Tung-Sol 5881's, Mullard 6GK5's, and Bendex Redbank 6106 as the rectifier tube. I am still using the stock tubes in the front of the phono stage. I am getting a lot of air between instruments with a lot of low level resolution with this setup. I sometimes switch out the Ken-Rads for 1940's Sylvania VT-231's or Tung-Sol round plates. How about the rest of you, what sounds best to your ear? |
Hi Brian, what 6L6's do you recommend? I just purchased a pair of Neotron 6sn7's for my line stage. I was told by someone that has a Syrah that they sound great in his. I will let you guys know what I think of them. |
I agree with Grannyring about his comments on the Parasound JC-1's. I have a friend who is running the JC-1's with a Joule Electra pre and Soundlab M1 speakers. The sound is fabulous. You would think you were listening to a pair of very powerful tube amps. The JC-1's take a long time to break in, but when they do, they are truly amazing! He also just got the Meitner Dac 6 and Phillips 1000 modified player. CD sound is fantastic and SACD is superb. |
Hi Baranya, this is Slowhand. I am the guy that started this thread and I still have my Syrah. I have enjoyed it from day one and have no, I repeat no plans to sell it. The first thing I do each day when I get home from work is to turn my system on and relax with some music. I doubt if I ever sell my Syrah. I know that Mick makes the more expensive pre's, but I am perfectly happy with the Syrah. I agree with the posts that suggest getting a Supratek pre with both line stage and phono stage. Even if you don't use the phono stage right now, you will someday if you want to hear what these preamps will really do. As for amp suggestions, I am using a Berning ZH270 amp and it is a beautiful match with my Syrah. Place your order with Mick, you will not regret it and it is worth the wait. |
Baranyi,
You will be very happy with the Berning/Supratek combo. This is a match made in Heaven. I have a friend that has a pair of Sound Lab M1's. These speakers are HUGE! We hooked my 10 lb Berning up to them and I could not believe what I heard. That little Berning drove those M1's with no problem at all. If you want a system you will be happy with for many years to come, get the Berning/Supratek combo. To answer your other question, the speakers I am using are Gallo Nucleus Reference. As mentioned by Tubegroover, the Berning has 3 settings to adjust for speaker impedence. On my speakers the Normal setting is the best. Other nice features of the amp are automatic tube biasing. Each time the amp is turned on the tubes bias themselves. |
Baranyi,
Not sure if I would go with that prototype unless you could get it cheap. If It were me I would place may order with Mick for the Supratek and probably order the Berning. Once in a great while a Berning shows up for sale, but if you want the latest version, I would order it new. Just my opinion. |
Baranyi,
If you are ever in Cincnnati, you are welcome to come over and hear the Berning and the Syrah in my system. By the way guys, I think Mick is using that 6c33 tube in his new 100wpc amps also. |
Ecclectique,
I just recieved my 6F6G tubes. WOW, The detail and resolution of these tubes is amazing. Thanks for letting us know about them. |
Baranyi,
You are welcome to come anytime. Just give me some advance notice so I can make sure I am not out of town when you come. |
Do Tung Sol Round plate tubes come in both clear and black glass? Do they say round plate on them or just tung Sol SN7GT? |
Thanks Bwhite,
It is the round plate that I have. I have paired these with the Sylvania 6F6G tubes that Ecclectique recommended and this seems to be the magic combo in my system. The strongest, most tuneful bass I have heard in my system, but not at the expense of mids or highs. Cymbals have a beautiful shimmer, drums have a nice crisp snap, brass has that nice burnished sound and the mids are clear as a bell. I have had 1944 Sylvania VT-231's, Ken-Red Black Glass, Neotron's in the line stage, but the Tung-Sol round plates make the best combo with the 6F6G's (for me). |
Lisbon,
My pair of JAN Sylvania VT-231's are not microphonic at all. The only tubes that I have microphonics issues with are the Ken-Rad Black Glass. I am finding that you can't label any brand of tube microphonic over another brand. You can have 2 sets of the same tube and one may be microphonic while the other is not. I have not found microphonic tubes to hurt the sound of my Syrah. Yes, when music is not playing you can hear the microphonic's, but when the music starts it sounds great. |
Fiddler,
Thanks for the toast! I am wondering why the views of this thread is stuck at 48. I know we were over 10,000 views. We must have broke something at Audiogon, or they got tired of keeping track. Be careful guys, when we hit 1,000 posts smoke may start pouring out of our computers. |
Clipsal,
I came to the same conclusion on the 6F6G and the Ken-Rad combo in my Syrah. The bass did seem overly strong. I am using the Tung-Sol round plates with the 6F6G and find this to be a very pleasing combo. Bass is still strong and powerful, but it does not overwhelm the mids and highs. Deep strong bass is definitly a charactaristic of the 6F6G.
Looks like we broke 1000 posts. I was away on vacation, so I missed the 1000 mile marker. |
Lisbon,
In my system I have found the Tung-sol 5881 to sound more on the warm side of bass. Good definition, but not the rock solid bass that you just feel in your gut. If I am using my Ken-rad's then I prefer the Tung-sol 5881's. I find the 6f6g's to be overkill with the Ken-rads, but with my Tung-sol round plates I love the 6f6g's! By the way, if you don't already have a copy or Brian Bromberg's CD "Wood", go out and get one. He plays a 300 year old upright bass that was made in Italy and with the 6f6g's the bass will rock your foundation. Man I love the hobby! |
Crapsmash,
I love your username, where did you come up with it?
Jphii, yes the 417a and 5842's will work in the phono section. Let us know the results of your phono tube rolling. |
Hi Jphii,
I have been told that the Amperex Gold Pin 5842 sounds good it the phono section, and also the RCA 5842. Some people swear by the WE417a, but others say it is overhyped. Guess you just have to try them for yourself. I will be very interested in your phono tube impressions. Be sure to post your results. |
Has anyone tried Phillips "miniwatt" 6sn7GTB's in your Supratek? Also have any of you tried Phillips KT66's in the regulator position. I know the Genelex is supposed to be the best KT66, but I was wondering what the phillips might sound like. |
