Preamp Deal of the Century

Thanks Rick000,

Please do let us know what your impressions are when you receive them.

Hello

I’m seriously considering ordering the Cabernet dual. Other than finish, what are some of the options available, I didn’t find them listed on the web site. It will be in a cd only system, for now? Thanks in advance for any help.

I ordered a pair of Malbecs last week of October. Pablo.

Slowhand,

No could not swing it in time....I did get the Chardonnay and so far it's been a beauty! Even running the Phonomena as the phono section I have not been disappointed. My plan is to use it for about a year and then move up to the Cortese.

duettasigs:

the primary options that mick has availabe for his preamps is home theater bypass swith and remote volume control. the cabernet already comes with a pair of balanced inputs/outputs. if you've got something specific in mind, just email mick. i'm sure he can set up most anything you desire.

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.

Hi Slowhand and Cello ,I went through the entire site of Silent Running Audio.It will be a thrill reading your evaluation. You have one for your Berning amp now and two more on order for your Cortese. No dought you plan on getting one for your turntable. I think that is where I am going to start.Cello you have the S.R.A. equiptment rack.Do you also have any of the platforms? Anyway in the next few weeks its sure going to be interesting reading the first impressions of the new Malbecs and a Mondeuse! Good Listening Mark

Hi folks, I have owned a cortese for 2 years and have been recently going through the isolation issue with DIY racks and isolation platforms. I removed feet from pre and PS added a solid hardwood 20mm base ( left the metal base by screw fixing it through the exisitng holes). I then separated it from the isolation base using a DIY version of a roller block - made a definite improvement in clarity and solidity.

Cheers,
Phil

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.

What is the current ship time to the US (midwest)?

Have been waiting for a week for my Sauvignon to ship now. I'm wondering how long it'll take once it goes.

my malbecs were shipped on 12-18-06 and i received one on 12-20-06 and the other on 12-21-06 from what i recall. dhl managed to split the packages up in ohio. i live in mobile, alabama so you might be able to receive the sauvignon a day sooner. enjoy your new preamp.

Australia to Ohio in two days? Well, that is bloody impressive.

that's what $400 for shipping will get you. i'm sure your shipping fee will be less since the preamps aren't as heavy as two monoblock amplifiers and they come in a single box (at least my chardonnay did). the quick shipping turnaround also has to do with how quickly the package can get through customs. i always give mick my SSN so it moves almost immediately through customs. at the worst, you should expect to receive it in 4 days.

fyi:

my malbec is back from kevin covi. turns out it had a bad screen resistor. i'm letting the amps cook right now so i hope to be able to give some sort of mini-review/impressions within a month or so. i have two quads of EL34 coming in the mail as i'm not a huge fan of the KT88 sound which the malbecs came with. hopefully some other malbec owners can chime in as well once their amps arrive.

Kgturner,
Could you post your early impressions at least, with an understanding the amps are still breaking- in.
I put a deposit on power amps, but still undecided b/w Malbec/Mondeuse.

maril555:

i should be able to get in a decent listening session this weekend so i'll try to post my initial impressions sunday night or so.

That's great. I'm all attention. Thank you.

Hi! Slowhand,
I've been reading these posts for a long time. I'm impressed with everyone's posts.

I've talked to Mick (just Recently)about ordering up a Chardonnay Tube Pre-amp & with all the equipment that I'm using, I'm going to need (5) inputs,(2) outputs,& a Tape monitor jack in the back side.

(Question): what type of speakers will go with Mick's Chardonnay Tube Pre-amp. I'm in the market for a good set of speakers. What do you use at home ?
I also have an Oracle Delphi Mark V Turntable, A Magnum Dynalab #102 FM Tuner & (2)Carver A-500X amps @270 watts a channel.Whew !!!
I could use some input from you guys,to replace my old Polk Audio Monitor 10's
Thanks, Mike

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!!!!

Agreed Slowhand, Mick is a vinyl junkie and his phonos are hard to beat at ANY price let alone $400!

Regards,

Steve.

Mike,
.
Here's another vote for getting a Chenin in lieu of the Chardonnay.
.
It is really a no-brainer decision.
.
The Chenin will be far easier to re-sell if and when the day comes that you decide to sell. Mick's phono sections are highly regarded and well sought after. You will increase the potential audience of buyers when selling a Chenin as compared with trying to move a Chardonnay and I am guessing you would probably get the $400.00 price differential or more back in your selling price.
.
There is always the distinct possibility that you end up doing Vinyl in addition to CD's and you would have an amazing pre-amp well far in excess of the additional $ 400.00 that you would pay out now. It would mean that you would not be forced to sell your Chardonnay and go through the hassle choosing, finding, and buying a pre-amp with a phono section. We almost always lose money when having to buy and sell another piece of equipment and buying the Chenin now would avoid all of the above.
.
My strong recommendation is to contact Mick and get him to build a Chenin for you.
.
Rgds,
Larry
.

Another vote for the Chenin here!

Unless you have a super mega over to the max God smiled on it separate phono preamp already, why would one buy a Chardonnay instead of the Chenin if the only reason is that "you are not into vinyl" yet for a price difference of <$500 always intrigues me?

I have been using the Chenin for almost Three years now. The phono section for low/mid output MC (2.5 mV and below)is amazingly quiet and sounds very-very good. I have some other phono preamps use for MM and coupled with an SUT, it does not have the vivid presentation I can get from the Chenin even on modest MC carts. It will take a lot of system matching before the SUT/MM phono combo approaches what the Chenin phono section delivers in my experience.

Let's paint a scenario here.......

Supratek Chardonnay, Linestage only Price:$2000

Supratek Chenin, Linestage (identical in every way to the Chardonnay), with Phono (Low noise Hybrid FET inputs, with two all tube gain stages, individual gain adjustments per channel with preset (four)impedance loading settings), capable of amplifying cartridge output as low as 0.1 mV without the use of external SUT's. Price: $2400

Both are two box system that are tube rectified (5AR4/GZ34) and tube regulated (5881, KT-66, etc.).

What will you buy? Honestly?

Well $400 is a big chunk of money (for me) but assuming that you use the preamp for a year and then decided to sell it. I believe you can get better deal with the Chenin don't you think? Besides, the price difference comes up to a whopping $1.095 per day for a year between the two. If you use it for two years then its ~$0.55, and in three years...well, you get the picture!

Worried that the phono section will just "eat" tubes when not in use? I suggest to turn the gain pots of the phono section all the way down when not in use and get a set of tubes, the cheapest 6922 and 6c4 tubes you can source, as back up. That should set you back for about $50 max including shipping. These tubes together with the tubes that comes with the preamp should be good for the next, say, 3 1/2 years or so conservatively.

As they say, "you know a good deal if you see one"!

Believe me, this is....IT!

i must preface all my following comments by saying that my system has been “down” since i placed the deposit for my malbecs in june of 2006. my system has been through some major changes. i sold my art audio carissa (16 watt SET) which I was using with a pair of gershman avant garde rx-20 speakers. the gershman’s are fabulous speakers, but they do not lend themselves to tube amplification. previous to the carissa, my amplifier merry-go-round consisted of a pair of cary audio slm-200 monoblocks, plinius sa-102, aes sixpacs, aragon palladium II monoblocks, and an aragon 8008BB.

after selling the carissa, i found a race horse deal on a pair of von schweikert dB99 SE speakers (my "affordable" dream speakers). so, i sold the gershman's and purchased the dB99 SE. since i had sold the carissa, i had no "high-end" amplifier, so i made due by powering the dB99 SE with a denon AVR-3806 receiver.

i received the email from mick on 12-11-06 and sent the money later that day. the malbecs shipped on 12-18-06. the malbecs were separated in shipping and one arrived on 12-20-06 and the other on 12-21-06. unfortunately, one of the malbecs had an intermittent hiss/pop. i shipped it to kevin covi in new york for repair on 12-29-06. kevin informed me that the malbec had a bad screen resistor and he was able to quickly repair the malbec. kevin shipped the malbec on 1-08-07 i received the repaired malbec on 1-11-07.

i’ve tried to allow the mablecs to burn in some over the weekend. i received two quads of EH EL34 tubes on friday. the malbecs have been playing non-stop for close the 48 hours. the fit and finish is quintessential supratek (first rate). though separated by almost 2 years, the chrome/piano black mablecs perfectly match my chardonnay. but you haven't read this far to hear what they look like.

the malbecs allow for adjustment of damping factor (left front knob), volume (right front knob), and negative feedback (on back) (all of which you can adjust "on the fly"). the chardonnay allows for multiple levels of gain adjustment. the dB99 SE also allows for adjustment of the bass level and ambience tweeter level. so, as you can see, my system is rife for fiddling and tweaking. i'm still toying around though i feel i've found a good balance. some more fine tuning will be necessary, obviously.

in my listening sessions, i played several CD's. among them, tool: 10,00 days, tweaker: 2 a.m. wakeup call, john butler trio: sunset by the sea, pink floyd: dark side of the moon. with the exception of the john butler trio CD, i have listened to these CD's probably 20+ times or more. cliched or not, it is still the truth that i am hearing things on these CD's that i've never heard before. layers have been peeled away to reveal subtle nuances and sounds that i never realized were there before. sure there had always been there hiding in the background, muddled by all the other instruments. now, they are more forward and present within the soundstage. there is more space between instruments and they can be easily located within the soundstage rather than just a wall of sound being thrown up at you.

the music flows out of the speakers with amazing dynamics and liquidity. the soundstage is centrally locked and very focused. the soundstage extends in all directions from the speaker though it's outward extension isn't as wide as it's height or depth. the sound is decidedly supratek. very musical. very alive. very different. the malbecs sound nothing like my cary audio amps, which were very syrupy and sweet. the cary's were excellent amplifiers, but the bass presentation was somewhat sluggish on my gershman's. the malbecs haven't exhibited much of tube romanticism that i've heard in other tube amplifiers. that is to say, they are not warm or sluggish. they are slightly more forward and very resolving, but not at the expense of being lean. when cranked beyond sane levels, there is no hint of compression. the music maintains it's texture and coherency even while it's running you out of the room.

praise without criticism is worthless in my opinion. the only fault i can find in the malbecs is a buzzing sound that comes from the tweeter. the buzz appears to be inversely coupled to the amount of negative feedback selected. the less negative feedback, the louder the buzz. this buzz is not mechanical noise inside the amp. the amp chassis is dead silent. granted, the buzz could be a function of the uber-cheap cables i'm currently using and/or the high efficiency of my speakers and/or the distance between myself and the speaker. it's only noticeable on quiet passages, but i find that it does detract from the listening experience even at low levels. hopefully, i will be able to resolve the buzzing issue i have in the coming months.

though my impressions are cursory, i really believe the malbecs are something special and (buzzing aside) i cannot see myself purchasing another amplifier. i guess if i had to make a comparison, the malbecs sound like they took the best attributes of the carissa and the plinius amplifiers i had previously owned. anywho...i hope this little micro-review is somewhat beneficial to those of you looking to purchase the malbecs.

my system consists of:

supratek chardonnay
supratek malbec monoblocks
von schweikert dB99 SE
47 labs shigaraki transport
47 labs shigaraki DAC
pure power battery power supply
exactpower EP-15A
purist audio design musaeus IC (DAC to chardonnay)
purist audio design musaeus PC (EP-15A to outlet, chardonnay to EP-15A, malbec to EP-15A)
signal cable classic speaker cables
mish-mosh of other crappy cables (used between DAC and transport / chardonnay and malbec)

Thank you for the first review of the Malbec, Kgturner.
Out of curiosity, how do they compare to the AES Sixpacs you previously owned?

the sixpacs are effectively a cary amplifier so they exhibit much of the same sonic characteristics as other cary amps. syrupy is the best way i can describe it. the malbecs are much more dynamic by comparison. of course, it's hard to make an accurate comparison as all my other amps were used on the gershman speakers while i'm using the malbecs on a new and relatively unfamiliar speaker (dB99 SE).

Kgturner, have you tried with the KT88s? Do you get the buzzing with KT88 also?

yes, the KT88 tubes buzzed as well. i don't think it's my cheap interconnects as the tweeter continues to buzz even when the cables are unplugged.

I finaly took a look under the hood of my Chardonnay.I decided to change the feet for some Bright Star Isonodes, so first I open up the power supply, did some damping and Deoxit spray the power switch, made it feel much better, not as dry and cheap.
Then on to the preamp, as I opened it I was pleased to see two huge Auricaps looking at me. Everything looks nicely soldered with silver solder.
I bypassed the HT switch, which I don't plan on ever using. I did make it easily reversable incase the next owner needs it however.
Everything looks good, all quality parts, nicely laid out.
However there was one surprise that I am not sure how I feel about, those big silver domes were empty.
Now I do not remember reading anywhere that said they had something inside, but I figured they were transformer housing of some sort. So I was really surprised to see that they are just two empty cans, I guess for cosmetics.

Thats the only conclusion I could come to, or maybe they are tuned to some special frequency, as they do ring when you tap them.
Are the ones on the higher models empty too?
Just curious.

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?

slowhand:

yes the buzzing comes from both speakers. it may possible be i'm hearing the noise floor of the amp, but i'm not really sure. i've been emailing kevin covi back and forth as he and i are at a loss for the reason for the buzz. like i said, it might just be due to the 99 dB efficiency of my speakers.

Kgturner,

Thanks for the write up regarding the Malbecs. Just a thought about your buzzing problem if you think that the efficiency of the speaker made it possible for you to hear the noise floor of the amps, why not connect an attenuator pad (with settings of 3, 6 and 9 dB or fine points in between on the positive leg of the output)with about 10 Watts power rating to be safe and see if it still persist? Since we are not concern about the sound quality at this point but to isolate the problem, the exercise will decrease the efficiency of the speakers as you increase the attenuation and you can monitor the buzzing sound if it gets affected by the change.

regards

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!

tom:

i think part of the issue is that power cables connected to the speakers are unshielded and one power cable on the right mablec is unshielded as well. hopefully i'll win the lottery soon and be able to purchase the remaing 3 purist audio power cords i need. : )

My Sauv has been in Customs since last Friday (6 days).

DHL called and said because the declared value was >$2K, they could not "vouch" for it and needed proof of my SSN.

I faxed the card on Tuesday with contact info, and today they called and said it was "illegible". I assure you, it was COMPLETELY legible. I still have the fax confirm.

So, it was scanned and emailed today. What a pain in the ass.

I'm new Chardonnay owner and new to Audiogon. As I have tried to follow this thread, I'm wondering ..What preamp/benchmark did you all own prior to the purchase of your Supratek?

previous to the chardonnay, i owned:

acoustic research sp-16l
pass labs x2.5
aragon soundstage (when 2-channel and ht were integrated)
ead theatermaster encore (when 2-channel and ht were integrated)

Kgturner,

What tubes have you settled into with your Chardonnay?

nothing fancy. bendix 6106 rectifier, electro-harmonix 6SN7, sovtek KT66 regulators. i'm interested in trying out the different NOS 6SN7 out there, but presently would rather invest money into other areas of my system.

Not much of a benchmark, but I had the Adcom GFP750 previously.
I've got the EH 6SN7's and the Sovtek KT66's. The Sovtek KT66 made a large improvment in the soundstaging dept.
Planning on changing the EH6SN7's for some KenRad VT231's based on Electique's generous sharing of his tube knowledge. Found a pair for $160. -gulp!

Did you have the stock Sovtek 5881 prior to the KT66?
My Chardonnay is sounding a bit 'closed-in'. After only two weeks of light use, more burn-in hopfully will open it up?

Hi, all,

I haven't posted in a month. Can't believe how much has been written!

Just wanted to report back on my Chenin (yes, still lovin' it).

I had replaced the stock rectifier with the Bendix 6106 and the regulators with Sovtek KT66's. A small investment really with huge improvement in clarity, detail, imaging, bass. I think most of the long-term experienced posters on this thread would agree that these are the big bang for the buck improvements. And the other good news is that it mostly solved the 'image wandering' that I was experiencing when I first got the unit.

I also picked up a NOS Philips Miniwatt GZ34. The bass is incredible, huge and amazingly tight. But the music seems a bit more constrained overall than with the Bendix. I understand that rectifiers take a long while to break in, so am going to have to wait a bit for a real shoot out with the Bendix. Anybody out there compared the Mullard GZ34 against the Philips and Bendix? Your observations?

I've played around with the phono tubes quite a bit. The stock 6922's were labeled "FSCM" on the box and nothing on the tube itself. I have no idea what they are. I tried a whole bunch of phono tubes, finally settling on a pair of Amperex 7308 white label PQ's.

Now, for those of you who can't find or can't afford 7308 PQ, I have REALLY good news! The Cable Company (aka fatwyre.com) found some Russian military NOS 6HN23-EB that are drop in replacements for the 6922, 6DJ8 or 7308 tube. They had them for $60 each low noise and $90 each for cryo'd ultra low noise -- but, have just put them on special for half price!!! I bought a matched pair of the cryo ultra low noise for $90.

After a warm up listening session for my ears, dropped them in in place of my Amperex 7308's. Holy s--- Batman! They are THAT good. I have about 6 hours on them now, so I'd say they're half broken in. By the end of the weekend, I should be able to pop the Amperex back in and really compare.

But what I can say for now is that they are about 95% as good replacement for a legendary tube at a fraction of the price (if you can find it). Their bass extension is ever so slightly less full, but they have all the air, detail, crystal clarity and 'presence' of this classic tube. I am going to buy another pair to have on the shelf as backup.

Go to http://www.fatwyre.com/newspecials.html for more info.

[oops...when getting the link above, I checked the page and it looks like they changed the price of the cryo from what I go mine for, but you can still get a matched pair of low noise for $90 - a great deal]

I am using the EH 6SN7 and from many of the comments I've read, will probably stay there. However, the stock are the silver pin. I've seen (on eBay) gold pin cryo'd EH 6SN7's and I contacted that vendor to see if they sell matched pairs. Answer: no. Does anyone know of a source of EH gold pin matched pairs, with or without cryo treatment?

OK, last item. I have a problem with my mute switch, and it seems to be affecting playback. Power up sequence is standard: with switch set to mute (back), turn on preamp, wait for tube warm up, turn on power amp, wait for for it to load, turn off mute by moving switch forward, play music.

Sometimes the switching of the mute switch causes a popping sound through my speakers, other times...NO sound comes out of my left speaker! Flipping it again once or twice and the sound comes through both speakers.

That is a nuisance, but the real problem part is that I still get some image shift in music playback. A vocalist's voice that should be in dead center stage is a foot or two or three to the right. In fact, the whole soundstage (if it isn't centered) seems to be right-side weighted. It is never to the left. Happens with both CD and records.

Anybody else ever have a problem with the toggle switches on their Supratek? I'm about ready to e-mail Mick and ask him to send another switch. Any other recommendations?

What a great community! You guys are the best.

Powers,
Welcome to the club. I'm a relatively new Chardonnay owner myself (since Sept 2006), and yes, the sound will get better and better with burn-in. Give it at least 200 hrs before you start tube rolling. I have since swapped out the stock 5881s for 6F6Gs recommended by ecclectique (thanks, bro') The Chardonnay is such a revealing preamp it will amaze you when you start rolling tubes. Have fun!

IKKyu2, I have noticed the same image problem you mention with my Chardonnay. There do seem to be an emphasis to the right, but the funny thing is that I do not notice it when playing my tuner, just cd. I checked my speaker position, but that was not it, so I have been thinking it was my Jolida 100a.
Maybe some adjustment is needed inside, I did see two adjustable pots on the inside when I opened it. Maybe someone can say what they are.

Anybody else have Customs issues like this coming into the US?? Is this not the norm?

Colink04,
Thanks. What a wonderful community. It is nice to see all of the enthusiasm, exploration, and sharing of ideas. I have always had a place in my heart for tubes but have been on sabbatical (kids, work.. etc) from the hobby/passion for sometime. Supratek was a new name for me and I stumble across them (strangely enough) while googling for a tube preamp with HT bypass. At first sight, I was quite enamored by the form, style and grace of the Supratek product line and, after reading this tread, was pushed (maybe a leap of faith) to buy a yet un-auditioned preamp from a distant time zone.

So here I am with a new Chardonnay, patently waiting for the burn-in and perhaps going through a similar process many of you have experienced. As so many on this thread have said...be patient. So I will be patient before touching the rectifier tube:).

One thing is for sure, this ‘looker’ of a preamp does a great job at differentiating recorded music. There sure is a lot of poorly recorded/produced music out there! I'm wondering what impact the mp3 generation will have? I began my journey with the album, then came the promise of CD, and now I have MP3s on my phone music for the masses .

A topic for another thread Alas, this thread is for Supratek and all it captures excitement, fun and exploration.

The 6H23N-EB tubes only cost $49 a pair here https://www.gcaudio.com/cgi-bin/store/showProduct.cgi?id=243

The 6N23P-EV and the 6H23n-EB are the same.

As for the Gold Pin EH6SN7, you can try here http://thetubestore.com/6sn7types.html On the pull down menu next to the "Add to Basket" button, select match sections.

I am not affiliated to the stores whatsoever.

paul:

i had no custom issues with my chardonnay or my malbecs, but i also gave mick my SSN before shipment.

I gave my SSN, but they asked for *proof* of the SSN - had to fax them the card. Very strange. Have gotten things from CA, Europe before, no issues.

DHL told me because of the value of the item - over $2K - they could not handle the customs responsibility themselves. All very strange.

Well, After further review of reading your posts. I will be ordering up a Chenin, instead of the Chardonnay. I'm a total (two)~channel guy, that just loves vinyl L.p.'s.

I have a pristine collection of over two-thousand records of Jazz/Rock, & I guess I can part with my Jolida JD-9A Phono tube Pre-amp & buy the Chenin. I paid $350.00 for the Jolida last year (brand new) So I'll look at this as an upgrade of sorts. You guys should all work for Mick. Your sales pitches are very good !!!!

Slowhand, What A guy !!! Yes, My Polk Audio Monitor Ten's are out of date. They are around "20" years old. They are a four way floor speaker system, that has a one inch dome tweeter, (two) 5-1/2 Midranges, & a Ten-inch woofer...
They hang from Piano wire up in the corners of my Living room on a 30 degree tilt. It's like having a set of headphones on with out the feeling on your head.. Hmmmm!!!

The_Chops

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.