The best amps I ever paired my Sauvignon are the Malbec monoblocks. While I was waiting from Mick to make them for me I used a Quad 606. I was happy with the pair, excellent sound and good midrange. It was like you were looking through a window on a bright day with the curtains on. But when the Malbecs arrived, it was like I removed the curtain from the window and I could see a colourful landscape and at the same time feel the wind on my face. The micro and macro details come in spades from the speakers adding a realistic feeling of space and air between the instruments. The midrange with the EL34 is magical. Also the gain matching of the Supratek preamps with the amps is unsurpassed as the Malbecs are made for high gain preamp match.
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
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Slowhand, I ve got them a year ago. I needed to wait a couple of years for them to be finished as I ordered them the period that Supratek wasn't on business. I believe today that Supratek is back on business it will not take more than a few months for them to get ready. I still feel that I could wait another couple of years every time I sit and listen them. They are masterpieces Also the option to remove completely the negative feedback, or to choose variable amounts of negative feedback with positive feedback makes them sound like SET (phenomenal mids and sound that floats in front of the speakers) and at the same time have the control of a SS amp on the lows. I honestly haven't heard anything that sounds better than these. Here is a photo of my setup: http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3070/workinggw.png |
Well it has been awhile since I've posted to this thread so it is probably time to chime in. I still have the same basic system that I had when I purchased the Supratek Syrah in 2003. To be honest, I never had the "urge" or inclination to upgrade in the line simply because I calculated the level of improvement would't add enough for me to pay the difference. I find the Syrah to this day a delight that has continued to provide enjoyment and keep step with my system. I've found other areas in greater need and focused on those, of the significant improvements with lesser outlay. Being an audiophile, in addition to improving my enjoyment of my system I also focus on cost effective improvements. I have used many of the regulator and output tubes with delight at how I can tailor the sound in the system with changes. Of course over time preferences sometimes change. In any event, it is a relatively inexpensive way to realize "changes" without the stress changing out components can bring. I may not speak for everyone with that last comment but I'm sure I speak for many of us. I've gone through periods of boredom with the system but have always found inexpensive (relatively, after all most of us are card carrying audiophiles afterall)changes that eventually renewed my enthusiasm without giving into the temptation to "throw the bums out". After all I wouldn't have lived with this system as long as I have unless there is something intrinsically right if not ever perfect. The Supratek Syrah a full function preamp at 2.5K new with a superb phono stage realizing use of a low level MC cartridge has been a "Deal of the Decade" if not the Century, at least for me so Slowhand, (Tom) you nailed it for many of us, good call! Sorlowski, enjoy your new Cortese and keep up posted. I always enjoy reading other's experiences with these great pre-amps from Mick. |
I too have the same Supratek Preamp, Chenin, since 2004! I build my own amps and other preamps so it was so easy for me to tweak it but I cannot do it as I want to preserve its own "tone" that I have been accustomed to for so many years sinced I owned the unit. I enjoyed, and still enjoying, my preamp to this date and I am still very pleased on how it sounds especially with my horn/SET based system. Much better sounding to me when I had SS or PP tube amps and conventional or active speakers. Thanks guys for |
I decided to upgrade my old Chenin to new Cortese, lets call it SE, have contacted Mick. He redesigned all his preamps in 2010 and claimed that new designs have even better transparency and music involvement. It was to be 4 months waiting period, so I have signed up. Unfortunately, for some reasons I have got Cortese SE after 10 long months and countless reminders, there was a time that I did not believe anymore that I will ever going to see it. To give justice to Mick at the end he has given me 10% discount to reimburse me for long and frustrating waiting. In that time I went from my CDP Audio Aero Capitole mkII directly to Claytons monoblocks (using Thiel 3.6), very transparent sound with big soundstage, great resolution, I only wished for more harmonics in the mids and more dynamics. But finally Cortese SE arrived After 2 weeks of burning time I have given it a try (with stock tubes): big bass, very flat soundstage, a lot of slam. This is not what I was hoping for, I have given it 2 more weeks of burn in time, nothing changed. So I have exchanged stock Russian unnamed 6l6 tubes with EH cryoed 6l6 and some cheap unnamed Russian rectifier with black base Phillips Miniwatt gz34. Pretty serious change: much deeper soundstage, bass lost its exaggerated bloom, better transparency, but still no a transparency which I have got when I was going direct. I was less disappointed but still not thrilled. So when after 2 weeks of burning time and not much of a change I swapped Philips black base gz34 with cryoed Bendix 6106. O my .. this was not a change it was different preamp altogether. Preamp from different league I must add. Finally sound was not dark anymore like with Philips it lost bass bloom completely and finally has opened up. Resolution was pornographic for the lack of better word, transparency simply spooky. Much better then going direct, I do not know how it is possible but it is the case. I remember Chenin sounding slightly better with Bendix then with Philips but difference was subtle, not anymore. New Cortese should be sold with Bendix, without it IMHO, it simple does not sing. I have borrowed from friend two runs of Tara Zero Gold and Omega speaker cable (to be sure that IÂm not limiting it anyway), simply unbelievable resolution and transparency (actually I have heard better one only from Jadis). What is interesting with Chenin my cheap turntable Realistic Lab 420 with Empire 9 cartridge was much better sounding then my AA Cap. Now gap is closed, I do not really hear my entry level turntable sounding any better. CDP now sounds really alive, new line stage is really something, real world contender. To hit audiogazm I need more harmonics in the mids and more slam, more PRAT, but I have not changed driver tubes yet, still using stock Russian Tung-Sol provided by Mick. I will keep you posted. I still cannot neither believe nor understand how stupid rectifier can have such profound effect on sound, but with Cortese case it does. |
Sorlowski, I do have a MkII Chenin, that I got from Mick a few months ago, which is the same generation, as your Cortese. Actually, Mick told me, that MkII Chenin schematics are identical to MkII (SE) Cortese, wth the only difference being "less robust power supply, and no XLR outs". I have NOS RCA 5AR4 rectifier tube, not Bendix. I do agree with you- this new generation Chenin is much better, that the first one, and I did have Chenin and Cortese before. I have to admit, that I did replace this Chenin with a much more expensive ($20 K) linestage (Joule Electra LA-450 ME), so Supratek is for sale now on A-gon. I actually don't undestand, why people here are not fighting each other to buy it !:), it's rediculous value at it's direct retail price of $3500. |
Help!Schematics for Chardonnay!My local tech needs schematics for my 2005 Chardonnay.I moved and setup my system.And no sound!I checked the umbilical at the power unit ,and it turned beyond what is normal and made a sparking noise.I turned the power off.The local tech says the wires inside to the umbillical came off and on one end they are color coded ,but not on the end that came undone.!! I have emailed Mick,no answer yet.Also is 97.00 to fix,solder 3 wires about right?Only working 15 to 20 hours a week,every penny counts.Help!Need my music!Thanks,Ray |
Hello people... I hope this thread isn't 'over'. I have Chenin but having some problems. This is the original MK1. The sound is very lean and the bass is very rolled-off. The whole bottom octave seems MIA and it's that which I'm sure creates the leanness through the frequ. I've tried a few different tubes....Mullard in the PS, Tungsol, EH, then Golden Lion KT66 and Sovtek KT66. Nothing I change really makes a different to the bass. I've tried all combinations on the gain set. Actually, even with gain set to low/low there is rather too much gain, but I have vol control on CD to compensate...but this gain not making different to bass. If anyone have any suggestion please help! I have a cheaper SS Pre handy and it sounds deep, warm, good tuneful bass. Not the 3D of supratek but much much more warm and musical satisfy. |
I bought this unit from Mick in 2009. Within a year the tubes on my left side failed. I replaced all of them with similar tubes and yet again it failed. After emailing Mick, he asked me to measure some voltage in the socket pin and it was off by about 1V. Mick was helpful to provide the correct value for the resistor and my friend soldered it for me. and I was a happy customer till last month. Now, there is some crackling noise on the right side. mick mentioned that the pots could be dirty and need to be cleaned by rotating. The problem with this is I couldn't find any pots in the preamp. After sending the photographs of the circuit to Mick he told me that it was the previous model without pots. The only option available to me is to send to a technician and asked for circuit diagram which he said he would send me. Unfortunately, he didn't send nor responding to my email. What should I do? Anyone here with Chardonnay schematics? The only part looks damaged is the big white colour caps? If they are caps can someone suggest a replacement? Thank you. |
Hi folks, I am a new owner of a Supratek Chardonnay and i LOVE it, it is incredible! This unit has upgraded Jupiter flat caps, Lundhal transformers, Mundorf S/G/O in power along with much more and it is breathtakingly good, best i have had. Massively smitten kitten over here! After trying the pre i am after some monos, does anyone have any feedback on the Merlots? If anyone is thinking of selling some Supratek mono blocks please PM me : ) Enjoy the music Cheers |
Great to see the love downunder for Blue Circle products! Another very good Canadian product is Don Sachs’ custom linestage 6SN7 tube-based preamp. http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20line%20stage.html Base model is US$1,699. You can add different tubes (Don highly recommends the Shuguang Black Treasure CV181z, I do too!), change the output caps to either Jupiter Copper, or Duelund CAST PIO-Cu, or add XLR connectors. I just replaced my Doge 8 preamp, which I felt was great value for the money, with one of Don’s preamp. It don’t know if the difference I’m hearing is the result of going from a 12AT7-based preamp to 6SN7-based one, but the improvement in sound is startling. With upgrades, my unit came in at AUD$2,700. Don stands by his work. @shertzy - check out the Doge 9 monoblocks: US$4,000 (delivered direct from the factory) http://www.doge.audio/products/tube-power-amps/doge-9-pab/ A review here: |
Nordicnorm - like you I had a Doge, inky black line stage, great dynamics and separation of players on the soundstage. What I couldn't appreciate was it seamed like the midrange was turned down as a tone control might do. Further in owning other preamps with the same tube types I wrote it off as a design flaw. I've since moved on to other 6sn7 based preamps. While none that I've tried had a recessed midrange, thay all seam to have more 'meat on the bones' that seams to be a characteristic of the 6sn7 family. Was your experience similar when you moved to Don's preamp? |
Hey guys, looks like Mick is back to building Supratek preamps again. This is great news! Mick has a new phono design for the Cortese preamp. Sounds like he has new products in the works. Here is a link to his blog. www.supratekaudio.blogspot.com.au |
I hear you Ralph, whatever "floats" a boat in the scheme of a specific business model. Nick's designs seem ever evolving from one idea to the next. I like that approach, kind of, but the problem is there is no definitive end, just a continuing work in progress ever evolving. I came to this conclusion when i couldn't obtain a schematic in spite of repeated requests. Plenty of passion and value regardless especially for the diy crowd, at least it used to be. Whatever the next iteration of Supratek, Mick has my warmest regard and a sincere hope for future sucess. His passion is unquestioned, at least by me. |
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Hard to believe this thread is 17 years old, Hope I dont upset anyone by posting here, but just to let all know that Generation 3 of the Supratek preamps are now being built . Its the result of 30 years of design and essentially I went back over the many hundreds, possibly thousand designs over that period and had a good look at what worked best and incorporated it a design that isn't exactly new, and isn't old. Its still state of the art tube design, but centred squarely on sound. In a nut shell , Gen 3 is wider, deeper, louder and quieter. Wider and deeper because of even more 3D quality, still the renown Supratek sound but even more engaging. Louder because of the explosive dynamics. Quieter , and really proud of this, perhaps the lowest noise tube preamps out there. Certainly the moving coil phono section, which is capable of 0.1mV MC's is the quietest active tube phono with noise floor well below the vinyl noise. One of my recent customers has a famous $30,000 phono only stage , that requires a step up, and he says the Cortese is quieter. I'm also proud of , that in addition to a continued reputation for fine sound the Suprateks have proven to be reliable and trouble free. I recently had a 2003 model back for a tune up, and pleased to see that it was functioning in near new sound quality . The 2019 Gen 3 models are even better , I've built a lot of preamps since then, and learnt a lot over the years. They will still be keeping people very happy in 2036! Its a bit unfortunate that its still the case that so many audio guys dont realize how much effect a good tube preamp can have on a system. They tell me a Supratek does amazing things to Magico speakers, but I've yet to hear any system that didn't have a big jump in musicality and engagement from a competent tube preamp. There's a couple of new Supratek preamps for sale on Audiogon at the moment, do a search. They are incredible value for what you get, I think I've always sold the Suprateks for far less than what they should retail for, but I never could bring myself to price out of the reach of "normal" people. Its always been about the love of music and doing the best I can to spread that around. www.supratek.com.au www.supratekaudio.blogspot.com.au |
Hi all, I posted the text below in another thread that I started earlier this year - titled something like "Don Sachs vs. Supratek - how to choose" but, since I've been reading this thread for something well over a month (hey! I finally made it up to page 21! still going strong) I thought I'd also post it here. My new preamp is a Cortese gen. 3 with LCR phon stage. It's awesome. Anyway, here's what I wrote: Sorry if this runs a little long, but I recently took delivery of my new Supratek Cortese preamp with LCR phono stage. The purpose of this post is to share my decision making process and experience in the hope that it will help others “find their way” through what was, for me, a somewhat daunting process. Overall, I have learned a lot and my perspective on audio and hi-fi has changed. I used a Naim NAC 82 with a hicap power supply for about 15 years. The 82 replaced a Naim 72 that I’d had in my system for well over 10 years. I always enjoyed my system when using the Naim preamps but knew there was better equipment out there. As I prepared for retirement I started researching tube preamps. I read a lot on various forums, asked many dumb questions (still lots of those left to go) and decided to seek out a preamp based around the 6SN7 tube; while there are discussions about which 6SN7 is the best, for the most part it seems this tube is almost universally well regarded for audio applications. Correspondingly, my search eventually boiled down either to a Don Sachs Model 2 or a Supratek. I had actually decided to purchase a Don Sachs unit before learning about Supratek but got hung up in the wife/budget approval process, so continued to research. The two companies/builders have much in common. Both are run by highly respected builders and are (as far as I understand) one man operations. Many of those who own pieces from either one of these builders describe the experience of listening to the equipment in glowing terms; many owners of each brand share that they came to it after ownership of products from many other highly regarded brands, such as Conrad Johnson and Audio Research. The reviews and comments on the internet seem to come from dedicated, long-term audiophile owners who swear by the product and state that their preamp is never leaving their system. One of the main reasons I decided to go with the Supratek was that it included an on-board phono stage. I figured this would allow me to get rid of my Linn Linto phono stage. I also needed (or wanted) five inputs. I’ve owned the Linto for over 10 years and it has sounded excellent. I haven’t had the time or motivation to do a hard-core side-by-side comparison of the Linto with the Supratek LCR phono stage yet, but I think the Supratek sounds a lot better. I just hear a lot more information coming off the records. I suppose that’s a preliminary opinion. BTW, my Linto is a 25th anniversary model, so it’s getting a bit old, and I had to have it serviced last year. Linn no longer supports the product but the Seattle authorized Linn technician took it on and performed a service, replacing all faulty parts with more highly spec’d components. I know I’m rambling here but please bear with me. I’ve started to write this review several times before and those earlier versions have somehow vanished into thin air on the internet. Mick was an absolute gem to work with. The preamp is beautiful to look at. It comes across as a truly unique, bespoke product. It is not a standard “closed box” preamp, though if you are considering either a Don Sachs or Supratek product you’re probably most interested in the sound, reliability and value. The sound: The first piece I played through the system was Shawn Colvin’s excellent 1994 release “Cover Girl”. I’ve listened to this cd countless times. Previously I thought I understood the lyrics. I now know I was wrong, because now I can clearly and easily hear them and know that previously my mind had been “filling in the blanks” to make sense of what it was hearing. I could go on and on about this cd but I’ll turn my attention to the second cd I played over they system – Pieces of Africa, by the Kronos Quartet. This is a wonderful 1992 release and the biggest difference through the Supratek was the incredible sense of cohesion of the quartet. Yes, the soundstage was huge, and each player clearly occupied a location within that soundstage. But this was merely a bonus, because the biggest delight was in understanding how the ensemble members were interacting and influencing each other. Amazing and wonderful to hear. Next up was the 2017 Rhino Records “Summer of Love” reissue of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks album. Holy smokes. Now I can understand why hardcore fans and collectors love this album and pay big money for original pressings. I have no basis for comparing the Rhino pressing to any others, but I will say that the recording is very good to my ears and the pressing seemed to leave nothing out. If you haven’t heard it yet, I encourage you to seek out the soundtrack to the movie “The Old Man and the Gun”. The press seemed to make a big deal out of the fact that this is apparently Robert Redford’s last movie. But the soundtrack is a hidden gem, a small group jazz release that is beautifully written, performed and recorded. The sound via the Supratek was nothing less than superlative. Update, about four weeks in – The preamp has continued to get better, more opened up, so to speak. The audio writer, Harvey Rosenberg, coined a word – “whole-osity” to try to capture the way superlative audio equipment conveys music. When discussing the work of Nobu Shishido he said that his artistic intent was “to take us to a musical territory that is so refined that there is no conventional language that can describe it....this is the job of the audio artisan...to inspire us to explore the ineffable”. When I incorporated the Supratek Cortese into my system I felt that I was having the same kind of experience. The phono stage is amazing. Yes, I know my LP12 with Ittok is not really considered “high end” nowadays. There are numerous tables out there which are more highly regarded. In spite of the limitations of the Linn, the LCR phono stage extracts every ounce of music from the signal and conveys it so that the performer’s artistic intent is clearly conveyed. Detail, musical nuance, artistic choices, cohesion, the unity of an ensemble and so forth are beautifully conveyed. The line stage is similarly accomplished. Many musical pieces I previously thought simply boring or annoying have been transformed into something that holds my interest. While the accuracy and “hear-through” nature of the preamp enables the listener to “hear the hand” of the producer and recording engineer it doesn’t detract from the artistry of the performer. I’m not someone who switches equipment into and out of my system very often. I’ve owned my humble LP12 for nearly 30 years, my ESL63 speakers for five, my Naim CD 3.5 for more fifteen, and so on. I’ve seldom purchased new. Every piece of equipment I’ve owned has provided great long-term satisfaction. The Supratek is exceeding every prior experience and every expectation I had. I can’t envision any situation in which I’d replace it. It’s very good. |
1. There is zero hiss from the preamp. Not through my ESL 63s, driven by Innersounds Electrostatic Amplifier or through my 93dB efficient JBL 4430s. 2. It is superb at all volume levels. 3. The volume knob is extremely solid. Both the volume knob and selector switch feel very solid and substantial to my hand. I would say they feel "tighter" than any of the other preamps, receivers or integrateds I've owned, from Luxman, Naim and Eico. |
Hello Markus, You have only touched the surface of the sound you will get from the Cortese. It continues to get better over time and should amaze you. I know my sound got better for quite a while after I got the preamp. This preamp should suit you well since you don't seem to be the type to change equipment often. I have only owned 2 preamps since 2003 and they have both been Supratek's. |
Oh my merciful heavens. Yes, I play a lot of digital, both cd and via a streamer. Frankly, the line stage is superb. It is so good that it is giving me an opportunity to reflect on how much more I want to invest in additional physical media (though i am in the process of updating my second turntable as I type this). It's just that I have thousands and thousands of records and am not sure I "need" more. But I am planning on getting a more capable streamer & DAC later this year. I concur that the remote is fairly simple, but it controls the volume very well, and that's what is most important to me. If I'm switching between sources I probably would have to get up anyway. And a nice, stylish, good looking remote would probably add several hundred dollars to the cost. And it would do nothing for the sound, which is what Mick has prioritized above all else. |
Greetings....Mick just shipped out my new Chardonnay yesterday and I am counting down the days till it gets here..,,So glad i found out about supratek thru this Thread...soo thanks to all....it will be replacing my old but still very good BAT VK-3i preamp...i was looking to go up the BAT ladder till i ran across this thread....I will be running the Supratek with a pair of Rogue audio 180 mono blocks...speakers are the Sweet Martin Logan Montis with dual Vandersteen subs...Digital is the New Audio Mirror Tubadour 3 Dac(which is a STEAL at the price and made me sell my Schitt audio Yggy 2 Dac and not look back)..transport is the Cambridge CXC(weakest Link and hope to upgrade soon) all with top of the Line Acoustic Zen Cable....Supratek Stocked to Join the club...so Love..peace and chicken grease for all the great Help along the Way!!!!!!! |