If you really wants a high quality tube preamp, Audio Note M6 phono is the one. It smokes any other preamp out there. Only its bigger brother M8 and M10 can beat it. The phono stage is absolutely gorgeous. The output transformer is copper winding in the primary and silver with high content of nickle in the secondary winding. It also uses expensive caps such as high gate. All the internal wiring is silver.
Preamp Recommendations Lamm, Ayre K-1x, BAT 31SE
Curent System:
Ayre V-5x amp
Levinson 390S CDP directly driving the Ayre
Dynaudio Contour 3.0 Speakers
Au24 speaker cables, Audience Power Cord, PS Audio P300 for CDP, Cardas Golden Cross XLR IC
As much as I like the transparency of the CDP directly driving the amp, the system is begging for a high quality preamp. I've never owned tube gear, but am interesting in trying a good one. I like what I have read about the Lamm LL2, the Ayre-1x, and the BAT 31SE. Of course there are so many other offerings from Hovland, Sonic Fronteirs, ARC, C-J, CAT, and so on.....
I listen to a lot of vocals (Joni Mitchell, Nora Jones, Lucinda Williams, Ella Fitzgerald) and simple jazz arrangements, and occasionaly rock (Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, dave mathews).
As lazy as it sounds, I also want/need a remote (which eliminates many). Also, for some perhaps stupid reason, I want it to handle XLR in/out since that's what I currently have.
Your thoughts and expereinces (especially Ayre or other good SS amp owners) GREATLY appreciated.
Ayre V-5x amp
Levinson 390S CDP directly driving the Ayre
Dynaudio Contour 3.0 Speakers
Au24 speaker cables, Audience Power Cord, PS Audio P300 for CDP, Cardas Golden Cross XLR IC
As much as I like the transparency of the CDP directly driving the amp, the system is begging for a high quality preamp. I've never owned tube gear, but am interesting in trying a good one. I like what I have read about the Lamm LL2, the Ayre-1x, and the BAT 31SE. Of course there are so many other offerings from Hovland, Sonic Fronteirs, ARC, C-J, CAT, and so on.....
I listen to a lot of vocals (Joni Mitchell, Nora Jones, Lucinda Williams, Ella Fitzgerald) and simple jazz arrangements, and occasionaly rock (Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, dave mathews).
As lazy as it sounds, I also want/need a remote (which eliminates many). Also, for some perhaps stupid reason, I want it to handle XLR in/out since that's what I currently have.
Your thoughts and expereinces (especially Ayre or other good SS amp owners) GREATLY appreciated.
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- 39 posts total
Artg, if you are interested in a high quality tube linestage with remote, I encourage you to add the Aesthetix Calypso to your short list to consider. It offers many of the sonic virtues of its more expensive sibling, the Aesthetix Callisto, with the addition of a very flexible/functional remote and a single chassis. http://www.musicalsurroundings.com/aesthetix.html I will echo Sbank's comments about the experience with the Lamm in that particular system. I was there also and heard exactly what he described. We were all puzzled by the result, but it was unequivocal. . |
"We were all puzzled by the result, but it was unequivocal." I'm not. The Lamm is not a tone control. It allowed you to experience the Classe gear in all its glorious crapulence. If the owner wants to keep the Classe Omega, he'll want a non-transparent tone control of a linestage. Then he can play synergy games and end up with a system that doesn't do anything very well. If he wants a good sounding system, he'll re-think the Omega, explore alternative front-end options and buy a preamp like the Lamm that allows him to experience the superior sound of his vastly improved electronics. I'm always amazed when I see threads like this which demonstrate that something so simple can be made so complex. I will not be re-visiting this thread for this reason. There's just not enough hours in the day. |
Hmmm... I guess Speakerdude will not be a useful partner in any further discussion. But then, I'm still working to decide how useful that last little diatribe was. It's kind of hard to get any more transparent to the sound of the amp than not having a preamp in the middle at all, which was the point of reference. . |
So speakerdude says all youre hearing is the limitations of your amp and source and Rushton says you can't get any more transparent to the sound of the amp by bypassing the preamp meaning all youre hearing is the source and the amp. Nice work Rushton. You just made speakerdudes point for him. Rock on speakerdude! |
- 39 posts total