Good to hear guys! Looking forward to your reports...Pablo ,its breaking them in or burning them in.
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
3,888 responses Add your response
zachzdb: srajan uses the definition pro which allow for bi-amping. he has a rane eq which sends the low frequency to the woofer arrays. not sure what his reference bass amp is. he appears to switch between the yamamoto/supratek and the melody integrated for the top. now, i don't recall him making any mention of using the monad for the woofer array and the yamamoto for the mid/tweets. the best thing F1a could do is email srajan directly. he's replied to several of my emails in the past. however, due to his wife's recent surgery, he may not reply too quickly. |
F1a-Sraben uses the Zu Definitions which are internally powered for the woofers and aren't biampable. Zu owners please correct me if I'm wrong. He tried both the Monads and the Yamamoto,Monads too powerfull for the 101db Zus. Seemed to prefer the Yamamoto,and said he'd like to try it again with proper speakers that could be biamped. |
stiltskin: still waiting on the cabernet dual. nothing to report on the malbecs per se. i think i mentioned it before, but the malbecs are very unlike any tube amp i've ever used. they aren't particular warm, romantic, or colored, but they're not sterile and uninvolving like some solid state amps i've used. they are essentially the bridge that joins tubes to solid state. |
Opus,Good to hear.Lets hope that new capacitor change resolves it. That glare sure would of drove me over the bend.Kgturner did you recently put an order in for a Cabarnet Dual or do you have it now? Also,you have had your monos for awhile,anything new to report? Maril555 I understand you have a Cortese and apair of Mondeuse on order. Any word on delivery? |
Good news---the glare problem I've had with my Supratek Cortese preamp seems to have been eliminated. The preamp paid a visit to Kevin Covi, who told me he was certain he found the reason for the annoying overemphasis I was hearing in the mid to upper midrange. It appears his assessment was correct---a faulty operating RIAA capacitor in the phono stage. I got the unit back today, and after having listened to a number of my "test" records for assessing my system's sound, I found no evidence of the glare unless it was actually on the record. We all have our favorite listening test records, and are well aware of their positives and negatives. In the most constructive sense, what I've heard so far coincides with my previous listening experiences with these records before I had even purchased the Cortese. I'll need more time of course before I can safely feel I'm fully settled back into relaxed listening, but I'm certainly feeling I'm getting back on course. Thanks especially to those of you Audiogoners who, with your support, wished me well. And, of course, my considerable thanks to Kevin of Supratek. |
jaguarcondor: are you referring to supratek preamps? plenty of people have received them. i just sold my chardonnay in favor of mick's reference linestage, the cabarnet dual. the supratek website appears to be up and running to me. try here: http://www.supratek.biz |
Wondered if anyone had experience of older Suprateks, circa 2000? Much stiffer psu than my Syrah with tubes as follows- psu - rectifier 5U4GG, 2X 5881/6L6 & 2x 6x4 line is 2x 5881/6L6, 2x 6H3n-E, phono is 2x 6GK5 & 2x 5842 ala Syrah. I already own a Syrah and bought this older pre used as possibly an upgrade. A biy tatty looking (well used, surely a good sign). Quick response from Mick as to how to rewire to 240V. Soundwise - gorgeous on both line and phono: but - it does not have anything like the gain of my Syrah and whilst the cd just manages to drive my Audiopax to usual listening levels (requiring a good hike on the volume compared to the Syrah), the phono as per the Syrah needs a few notches more and runs out of steam. Full volume on vinyl is just not loud enough.(using my Koetsu Black so my zxy Airy at 0.24mV has no chance) Suggested the 6H3n-Es are the problem but since that's what it came with? If the amp has lower gain than the Syrah and not suitable then more fool me for assuming all Suprateks were pretty high gain >> but if anyone can at least confirm that it's the correct tube complement or suggest a way to increase the gain I'd be well oblidged. From pin outs I cannot find any tube which could replace the 6H3n-E to give more gain. I can't believe a hint that these should be 6H30s as I cannot see how these could possibly be compatible if it functions with the 6H3n - but I'm not remotely tube literate so who knows. Any comments re talk to Mick - he's a busy man & both my Soopies were bought used so we'll assume there's a limit to the man's patience & not stretch it. Thanks Simon |
Arkio: That's a good account of things, IMO I think Mick's sound is very sorted out and his circuits so well evolved that these 'add-ons' make little difference. Other than a need to control microphonics sometimes, which IME is usually tube related anyway, there's not much need to fiddle with Supratek products. That said, I use Solid Tech 'Feet of Silence' ($399) under my Grange, turntable and cdp, and have Yamamura 6000 power cords ($800) on the preamp and Bel Canto DAC-2. My whole system is powered with the Eichmann Power Cable Pod and Power Strip ($570). I'm not sure these tweaky things do much really, but I got them for peanuts and have them in place for peace-of-mind ?? Regards, Steve. |
I have the RAL umbilical chord. I was curious if it would make my Supratek sound better. I inquired on this thread before I bought it as there were a couple favorable comments. I figured for $250 its not a big deal, but in the end I preferred Micks umbilical. Not to say the RAL was all bad. In my second system (Bryston ) which is hyper detailed and tends on the bright side the RAL actually tamed things and made it sound more natural. However in my main system where I have a very natural and airy sound already, Mick’s was more in line with the sonics and only enhanced the experience/quality. But I suppose it could have gone either way. I’m sure the auxilleries you have will play a vital role as to whether anyone will enjoy this chord better then Mick’s. That said I agree with the cautionary note. I would think a DIY project would not be in order. The RAL stuff is pretty decent build and I now have no doubt it works, but the customer service leaves something to be desired. In a email with Mick he made it clear to me that he prefers folks use his umbilical chord as it is an integral part of the design, Certainly not just an after thought. So in the end I would recommend folks not mess around with this unless it comes as an upgrade from Mick or you are just incredibly curious (like I was), (even then be careful) On the note of power chords I have tried about a dozen now on my Supratek while in a search for the best chord for my power amp and I have come to the conclusion, more then ever, that Mick’s preamp design is hard core solid and these after market chords make very little difference. I have tried chords costing more then the Supratek itself with very little decernable difference (ie cost of chord to improvement gained). One chord that I felt gave it a bit more air and naturalness is the Gutwire G and C clef Squared. The G-clef squared in around $300 bucks new, but its very decent and someone experimenting with chords might want to audition this chord in their quest. It IMO is a real improvement over the Stock that comes with the unit. Nice to see that you don't need high priced chords to make stuff sound good. Like always YMMV. Cheers and good listening |
Actually - having gone down that road, only to have the RAL umbilical NOT work, I think you are both right. I don't roll the tubes in my Supratek - trusting Mick's choices as the right ones. I should have done the same with the umbilical. That said - I have found improvement by removing the little hard rubber feet from both the PS and head unit, and replacing them with Walker Audio Valid Points and Discs... |
BE VERY CAREFUL WITH NON-STOCK umbilicals for Supratek preamps! One wrong connection by the cable maunfacturer and POOF!! its the end of your preamp. There are specific voltages being fed from each pin the power supply to the preamp section - get it wrong and you risk damage. At the very least you should send the stock umbilical to the cable guy so that he can circuit-test and make the cable exactly to the original. Mick uses silver coated copper wire in the umbilicals, the same as found inside the preamps. I would have thought this would have been a good synergistic match, so why interfere? Just my 2 cents worth... Regards, Steve. |
I did recieve my cable from Brad. I ordered it on January 30th, and recieved last week. Fit, finish, and build quality are very good. I cannot comment yet on whether or not it makes a difference as the pin configuration and size of the connectors on the RAL umbilical do not fit my Supratek. I would advise that anyone who orders one be very specific as to how many pin sockets you have AND the barrel size on your stock umbilical. Brad told me that he has seen 6, 7, and 8 pin sockets. Mine only has 5 and a smaller barrel size than what ships with the RAL. I am currently waiting for Brad to try and source the one I need. If someone wants one - and has an umbilical with 7 pins - email me off list and perhaps we can work something out. |
Hi Baranyi I think some people have ordered the umbilical cord but have not received them yet. Hence not many can give you their views. I ordered and paid for the cables in Feb; in mid Mar wrote to Brad. Then about 20 days ago, Brad (aka Vtech2000) informed that my cables would ship the following week. Till now, I've not received the cable. Talk about broken promises and poor customer service. Better wait out until Brad fulfills his orders. |
Hi Slowhand. The Malbecs are going to replace either a pair of highly modified Golden Tube 300b Monoblocks or a Wright Sound 3.5. Let's see. The rest of the system: Teres 265/Triplanar Ultimate/Zyx Airy 3 APL 3910 Universal Player Supratek Chenin Coincident Total Victory Lamhorn 1.8/Lowther EX 4 REL Stadium II In all probability the Malbecs will replace the Golden Tubes, but I want to try them against the Wright Sound/Lamhorn 1.8/Lowther EX 4 to see what happens. I'll keep you posted. I really don't know why we are not getting people's impressions about their Malbecs yet. Pablo. |
Slowhand, Yes the rollerblocks set up in the sweet spot under your SCD-1 should be mind blowing good. C.Ds and especially Super audio disks spin at a even higher rates of speed causing vibrations that effect the overall performance of the machine.Finding that sweet spot under that huge SCD-1 will take two people .I found a hardwood stick and block of wood used as a fulcrum to place the rollerblocks and plates a good and safe way. Slowhand for the price of a set of rollerblocks or another S.R.A. platform,you are so close to audio Nirvana.You have Valhalla in your junction box,do carry on with more Nordost Valhalla in your tone arm. And to your phono stage you can use the far less expensive Nordost Frey or Tyr line of interconnects.My experience with having the stock Discovery wire in my old tone arm and junction box along with trying other brands of wire over the years and settling with Cardas Neutral and Golden Reference through out my system.Comparing them to the Nordost wire. No contest. If anything out there that you could do to your system that would be jaw dropping good,this is it...Pablovila looking forward on what you have to say about the Malbecs |
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! |
Slowhand,What a brute of a c.d. player the SCD1 is.55 lbs? I bought the 777 shortly after they came on the market back in 2000 and had it modded afew years later.The 777 was my first c.d. player ever. It sure was dark days for vinyl back in the 90s .Have you tried rollerblocks under your SCD1? Put them near the transport,its amazing what they do for a c.d. player.....Last time I checked going prices for certain vintage tubes ,I put mine away in a safer place.Back in the 90s the most expensive vintage vacuum tubes I bought was CRAZY money,around $60.00 for a pair of Sylvania metal base 6SN7s.The tube and parts dealer saw me coming. I couldn't tell you what going prices for any of the vintage Western Electric vacuum tubes were going for. Someone mentioned here apair of W.E. 350Bs were $400.00 apair.I think hes wrong,400 for a single tube, if it test new. Tube rolling with vintage vacuum tubes will change the sound of your Supratek pre.Thats for sure. Though certainly not for the better.If you have money to burn on vintage tubes, slow down, this money for sure is better spent in other areas of your system.Have your c.d. player modded and buy some rollerblocks to go with it. Have your tonearm rewired and carry on with the same wire through out your system. Try out some decent a.c. distribution through out your system,all from the same manufacture. Anyone of these steps will have a profound effect. |
Slowhand: I have'nt tube-rolled for five years! And, I've got many nice 6SN7's including Mullards; Brimars; Sylvanias; Toshiba and KenRads ...waste of time, Micks preamps are BEST as delivered with fresh tubes and as adjusted by him. Tube rolling is the proverbial dog-chasing-tail ...all IMHO. Regards, Steve M. |
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! |
Tvad: I know the feeling with tape recorders, they're an excellent medium. I use to transfer my CDs onto Nakamichi tape decks or a nice Pioneer RT-909 reel-to-reel (Mick's got that machine now) and the results were superb! Kind of like the music got 'analogued' along the way...all for the better. I think the same thing is happening with FM's treatment of CD sound, that's why it sounds nicer. There's no doubting CD's convenience and generally competent sound, so that's the medium for most of us I suppose. Opus88: Isn't it ironic that we are being sold more and more technology these days, on the basis of number crunching creates better sound(all at high cost), but in all honesty the truth and beauty of music seems to be locked up in the old mediums like the ancient thermionic bottles we all like (a la tube devices like Supratek); analogue tape or vinyl & to a lesser extent FM transmission; good ol' Class A amplification is still hard to beat and electrostatic loudspeakers are still a reference point. Even some of the old point source loudspeakers like the Goodmans Axiom 80 and Coral Beta 10 (now some 30yrs old) are still unsurpassed. When you've been doing hi-fi for a few decades, it seems to be a common thing amongst older audiophiles that life goes full circle. Some of the good things you heard are still good. I've tried a lot good gear over the years from valves to digital amps, from Accutons to ribbons etc. and the older stuff still competes (and exceeds) in a lot of areas. Its not nostalgia or your imagination either - it just is. The high cost of Hi-Fi is hard to justify. Non-audiophiles must think we are MAD spending the dollars we do on equipment, for little improvement. I almost puke(Aussie slang for vomit) when I pick up a copy of Hi-Fi+ magazine these days. Don't get me wrong, this is a good magazine displaying dream-like thoroughbred equipment, but come on, you've gotta be kidding! There are small amplifiers with a toroidal transformer and a few circuit boards in that magazine that cost as much as my new Subaru Outback H6 SUV (bristling with the latest technology and a 180kW hi-tech motor), there's just no comparison for value, and they have the cheek to call the amplifier 'a bargain' at $50,000! Anyway, time for me to go back to listening to some cool music with the mantra ...'I am happy with what I've got' ...'I am happy with what I've got' ... Cheers, Steve. |
Stevem1960: Some of your last comments certainly are refreshing. Your reference to the sound of the little Marantz in comparison to the $5000 cd replay system and the $2000 worth of fancy cables probably strikes the kind of chord that sounds familiar to a number of others out there. ( I just noticed Tvad's admission, for example.) I also feel it sort of mirrors one of my recent comments (3-26) about objective data or numbers sometimes proving to be irrelevant in terms of what we are led to expect or believe vs. what we actually get. And yes, sometimes things do sound just right, but then that can't leave well enough alone tendency rears its ugly head. That's part of the explanation of how or why I lost what I once had. Oh well, back to the quest for peace of mind sound. |
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Well said Opus88, a good description of the varying nature of recorded music vs. live performances. Sometimes I just can't understand what's going on in my system, it can be spot on one minute and then you fiddle with something and that illusive 'real' quality is gone - best not to fiddle when you feel the magic is in place! My current pet annoyance is that no matter what I do, my humble $100 Marantz analogue FM tuner sounds nicer (more natural to my ears) than my $5,000 CD replay system with $2,000 worth of fancy cables attached to it. This shouldn't be the case when most audiophiles consider tuners (with their limited bandwidth) to be a secondary source? With home audio its best to savour the good moments while they last and try to ignore irksome (perceived) problems ...hard to do I know, because of our pedantic male driven audiophile tendancies. Other than that, perhaps we just need to go see more live performances to remain grounded. Regards, Steve. |
I just wanted to respond to the well intended comments Stevem1960, who says, "...Opus88 describes the sound of horns...with emphasized upper mids on his Cortese. I would have thought this is how horns are *supposed* to sound.....It is feasible that you are actually hearing for the first time how these instruments *should* sound...and perhaps you are being unnerved by the experience ? " Unnerved ? Yes, that is true. How horns are supposed to sound ? You are partially correct. Horns are certainly capable of producing strident sounds when called for, however, I have been hearing blare at times in passages where I have never heard it in the same passages of these compositions performed live in symphony concerts. I also have heard these passages reproduced in my component system, prior to the introduction of the Cortese, WITHOUT the "supposed to sound" glare. I've heard horns and massed strings sound urgent, vibrant, assertive, ambient AND wonderfully musical and naturally flowing all at the same time. I was able to relax while simultaneously enjoying impressively dynamic and electrically alive transients, sometimes projected with a stunning sense of grandeur. I had that kind of musical reproduction in my sound system a number of years back, then lost it. I'm confident I will get it back again, and WITH the Cortese. A paradigm shift, in the usual sense, is not going to correct the issue I am dealing with, and I certainly will not tell myself that I need to change what my own ears are telling me. Maril555's point about trying to convince himself "...that what I was hearing is the way actual instruments should sound like...But at times it simply was 'too much'" is understood very well by me. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that all recorded music is made possible by the utilization of a vast array of electronic equipment---capacitors, resistors, wires, etc., not to mention the manipulations by sound engineers during that recording process. AFTER all that, our home or studio components take over the job. Under such circumstances, neutrality or "correct" sound possibly might be somewhat illusive. And finally, there's the listener's own subjective preferences in terms of how HE wants the illusion of live music presented to him in his living or sound room. I hope I may regain the kind of illusion that pleases me. |
Trust me, Mick *can* make a preamp sound anyway he likes( the man is a whiz and I've seen and heard it first hand), but I suppose its not possible to suggest these things because of the tyranny of distance. Be forwarned, the Cortese is at another level and will peel away even more layers to reveal and flesh out the music to the nth degree, I hope your speakers are up to it ... Regards, Steve. |
Stevem1960, Your points are very valid, and I did try to convince myself, that what I was hearing is the way actual instruments should sound like. But at times it simply was "too much". You are very right about a possible need for a "paradigm shift in hearing and thinking". Just might not be that easy for some. Actually I did contact Mick a few times, and he was very helpful trying to resolve "the problem". At any rate, I've decided to give it another chance, and ordered Cortese and Mondeuse amps- delivery pending. Will see. I'm not so sure if Mick could change a sonic signature of the preamp, or at least he wasn't very enthusiastic when I asked. |
Maril ...just as a matter of interest, have you discussed your concerns with Mick Maloney? It seems strange that any Supratek piece should exhibit glare, it is not in the mien of valve gear to sound glarey. Quite the opposite really, valves are traditionally chosen for their smooth and musical presentation and it is usually the case for solid state equipment that glare needs to be controlled. I know Mick Maloney personally and have owned five of his preamps over the last ten years - none have ever exhibited any glare (and my system is razor sharp! with Raven ribbons etc.). Mick is an analogue guy (loves vinyl and truthful music), his design philosophy majors on musicality above all else. I think he would be shocked to learn that someone thinks that one of his products sounds glarey. In one of the earlier posts Opus88 describes the sound of horns as being perhaps bombastic or with emphasised upper mids on his Cortese. I would have thought this is how horns are *supposed* to sound, certainly when you are in front of live performance the trumpets and horns blare and blat at you with uncanny acoustic power! they do not sit in the backround ... Is it feasible that you are actually hearing for the first time how these instruments *should* sound with all the attack and transients of the instruments intact, and perhaps you are being unnerved by the experience? Listening to Supratek gear may require a paradigm shift in both thinking and hearing?? Anyway, I'm just trying to be constructive and would suggest you send an email to Mick about all of this. The guy is very good to deal with and is a master of sonic tailoring, he can get your preamps to sound anyway you might like it ... Regards, Steve M. |
