Seriously considering tube preamp…opinions?

I warmly invite you to consider tracking down and auditioning a pair of Quad ESL speakers. 63s, 988s, 2805/2905, etc. Any of these might require a rebuild (cost about $2000 with shipping) but there is a reason why these are universally well regarded.

There are many solid state amps on the used market that would work well with these. Quad 909 for instance. This approach would result in a speaker/ power amp combo for around $4000. A budget of $2000 - 2500 would provide for a brand new 6SN7 based tube preamp that would blow your mind. Figure ~1200/1500 for a tube buffered DAC (Tubador, Orchid...) and stream from your laptop or a used cd/DVD player picked up used for $10 - 50 and you’re golden.  This would result in a system close to state of the art.

Can't remember, but did you mention the size and dimensions of your listening space? If not could you post them here? if you did, could you repost them here?

I'm using an Innersound Electrostatic amp. It is a circa ~`1999 - 2001 or so amp that I have seen for $2000 and less.

I hope you feel you're still getting value out of this thread. Kinda seems to me that what started out as a pretty straightforward quest - to pick up a wonderful tube preamp - has evolved into a somewhat wide open discussion of many wonderful options in which virtually everything is on the table. Except for (maybe) your chosen Salk WOW1 speakers. But I think I read that you are content with those.

Let me share a couple of thoughts on power amps. First, you don't have to stay with the big (and therefore $$$$) names. I'm sure they are nice amps and sound good. But there are wonderful options out there from lesser known builders, especially on the used market. Note that I've not shopped around for any specific amplifiers, but I'm simply trying to broaden your list of possible candidates that should be available without breaking the bank.

Coda would be on my short list. Complete beasts, capable of powering virtually any speaker into harmonious submission and tranquility while provide superb, performance-transparent-insight into whatever recordings you throw at them. Brought to you by the guys who founded Threshold. Sanders Magtech or Innersound Electrostatic. These amps can take an inefficient speaker and make it sit up and play wonderfully. And they are bulletproof.

One of these amps would allow you to comfortably stay with your less-efficient speakers and return to shopping for a killer tube preamp. And this thread is replete with many well regarded candidates. Don Sachs, Supratech, DeHavilland, Atma-sphere, Quicksilver. These would be on my short list, though there are probably other options out there.

decooney - you have a PM.

Yo.  Aball.  What're your favorite amps and speakers?

Allow me to disagree with those who recommend a solid state preamp. I think I’ve already suggested this , if not in this thread then and many many others . Read the Roger Sanders white paper on Solid State vs. Tubes. His website is Sanders sound systems.

Very good solid state amplifiers will sound a lot like very good tube power amplifiers as long as they are operated without clipping.

I believe that the preamplifier is the place to put the tubes. And get the best one you can afford.

Too many days spent here in isolation. I gotta say "I LOVE YOU GUYS!" and our differences of opinion don’t mean anything to me at all.

Here’s what I think. I think if we went over to one-another’s houses and listened to some music, IT WOULD SOUND KILLER, regardless of whether the preamp is SS or tube or the power amp is SS or tube.

I think most of this boils down to system synergy. That’s the key. That’s the main thing.

Oh, one more thing that really contributes to enjoying the sound of a system is CONTENTMENT with what you’ve got. How good does a system have to be? Just good enough that you stop thinking about what you gotta change in order to get things "right".

@mglik 
Question for you, since I'm intrigued by your comments.

How efficient are your speakers? I have a pair of ~94 dB efficient speakers (in addition to Quad 2805s). It seems that 94dB is not quite in the happy zone for low powered SET amplifiers. Hence my question to you.

What SET equipment are you using? What else have you tried? What are your recommendations?

Thanks, in advance, for any help you can provide.

Markus

I suggest you look at either Don Sachs or supratek. They are within your budget and are handmade, with point-to-point wiring and are a very, very well-regarded on this forum.

Look for a thread on this forum titled. Preamp deal of the century. And look for another thread called. Don Sachs or supratek. The don Sachs is handmade in Canada. And the supratek is handmade in Australia.

Well, it’s been a while since I looked at this thread. And internet fora are nothing if there aren’t Divergent opinions expressed, right? Having said that, I will recommend that with respect to your power amp question you seek out a white paper which is on the Sanders sound systems website on transistors versus tubes or solid state versus tubes. IMHO this will help you understand some of the important differences between tube and solid state power amps.

The next point I want to share (and its just my opinion) is that a good tube preamp can make an ENORMOUS difference in the sound of a system. IMHO it is better than not using a preamp, or only using a passive volume control. I don’t have a technical basis for this opinion but I can tell you that I’m not the only one who has this opinion.

Personally, I am very much in favor of the small artisan, designer/Builder such as the the Haviland, or the don sacks, or the supratek. You’re just paying for the parts and skilled labor to design and build the equipment. You’re not paying for staff meetings, fancy buildings, inventory control systems, email systems, accounting departments, shipping departments, management salaries, marketing, Etc. I have nothing against the larger companies, but I have worked for big companies and I know that all that money for all those salaries has to come from somewhere.

You asked about why point-to-point wiring is important. I don’t think I can really answer that. I did enjoy Kevin Deal’s video on YouTube in which he raves it up. I have read what Mike Maloney has to stay on the Supratek website and he basically says that point-to-point wiring simply sounds better. That he’s tried to make preamps with printed circuit boards but they just sound boring, Flat, plastic and two dimensional By comparison. I know that all the people that use point-to-point wiring are hardcore, hard-headed, Fanatics. That’s the kind of person that I want to do business with. That’s the kind of person I want building my s***.

One other point I want to make is that you're really not in that unique of a position with respect to finding it hard to audition some of this equipment. At least in my experience the very best equipment is hard to find. It's not mass Market. Yeah there's stuff out there that you can find but you're going to get a lot more for your money if you go to those individual Artisan builders. In my experience and from everything I've read that's where the juice is.