Tube Amp for Coda 8 Part 2

@bugredmachine Interesting, thanks. I see you have many systems, nice! Any fav tube pre?

Easy the LTA  mk2/  preamp David Berning design they use all top name brand 

and the key a resistor ladder, relay volume attenuator ,which is the best.

many known companies using junk Alps volume pots which are 2 plastic wipers with s conductive spray on them ,you loose a lot of micro details , keep that in mind in your search 

@kds Great question. I have owned a few nice preamps in the last 10 years: 

Pass Labs XP12 - very nice unit. It was quiet and was everything you’d expect from Pass

Aric Audio Motherlode - sound was okay, but as a single ended unit is was too noisy. I ditched it fairly quickly. I should have ordered it as balanced.

Don Sachs Model 2 - very nice preamp but only came as pseudo balanced at the time. A little noisy and Don worked with me to upgrade some internal parts that helped but not enough for me to have a long term relationship with. Although I did build the Pomelle wood case for it as a project challenge and it turned out nice for the buyer I sold it to.

Audio Research 5SE - I reached as high as I could go at the time up the chain and grabbed this used preamp from Will Vincent after a tremendous amount of research, both here and elsewhere. Extremely happy with the sound of this preamp and the damn thing is robust in design, super quiet in balanced mode, and just disappears from view because it has no quirks in its operation. The most musical preamp I have ever owned and here to stay.

In days long gone I have owned these other preamps. Some with stellar records and out of print now, so to speak:

Sim Audio Celeste P3

Cary SLP98P

Sonic Euphoria

Promethius TVC

Pass Labs X1

Audio Mirror T61

Bel Canto DAC3 Pre

Modwright LS36.5

Dodd battery

Response Audio Bella

Electrocompaniet EC4.5

Lyngdorf TDAI2200

Mapletree 4ASE

BAT VK3i

Auditioned a Rogue Athena

TRL Dude

 

@audioman58 +1 thx

@bugredmachine WOW!

KDS, you have a great amp so be sure to add a commensurate pre, IMO tubed, to match up with it. Keep that system at a high level and it will reward you. Then later we can talk cables (!).