Thinking of replacing my Conrad Johnson Classic 2 SE. Its a great sounding preamp but I've had it since '13 and am looking for something with remote. Dual pre-outs a must . Volume only remote is fine but volume and source would be ideal. Thanks.
Thanks. I hate throwing all kinds of superlatives around, but it really is as good as Stereophile, TAS, Positive Feedback and others have said. Its so lifelike , you get a sense of the recording space. Unreal.
Hard to believe it was sitting in storage all these years, It was from a dealer that passed away as I understand it. I have a few copies of the original color brochure/ Spec Sheets that were in the box , if any original Leto owners would like a copy to go with their owners manual just PM me.
Received the Zesto Leto and have been listening a few days. Incredible sounding, dynamic but has great detail, rhythm and pace. Actually sounds like I got a whole new system, it's staggering. I needed a little help from Zesto and they are first class all the way. Its great that I can use balanced gear with it too. Best bass of any preamp I've used or owned . Amazing clarity.... zero self noise. Hit pause and turn it up louder than you would normally listen and still, black dark silence . Worth every penny .
I paid a lot less than $5k for the Zesto. It is six + years old but I'm gonna roll the dice with it being new , sealed box , Sorry but I would never buy another VTL again, especially used.... horrible customer service
Thanks again for suggestions, I bought a NIB original Zesto Leto for a good price. Has everything I could want , dual RCA out two XLR in and dual XLR out , remote , HT bypass.
Sure, all great gear. I’m a blue collar guy with white collar tastes. Only with audio... and Im not snobby.... good gear is good gear ...other than that I’m pretty low maintenance.... hear that single female audio lovers in the Boston area ????
Good move, excellent gear..but you also got a lot of excellent other inputs...Aesthetix, ARC ( a Ref3 or 5 in budget ) Backert, Modwright, and Herron... aint it great to have choices !
So to reiterate, nothing against anything like PL, in fact I think its really good stuff.
I have an OPPO player , built in China, great unit. I just happen to like made in USA.... I have stuff made in Germany and Canada too eh...
So thanks to everyone for their great suggestions. I called Backert and spoke to Andy. Picked the phone up right away. I appreciated his time so thanks to those guys
I actually pulled the trigger on a New In Box...... Zesto Leto Line Stage. I am taking the chance that while NIB everything is OK which I'm sure it will be .
Before clicking Buy , I called Zesto just to see what the hourly rate is just in case DOA and its pretty reasonable. So fingers crossed.....
tvad made a great recommendation with Aric Audio. I run a Motherlode II in my main system. It puts a huge smile on my ears everyday. Aric is very passionate about the gear he makes. He is also great to work with. I have three of his preamps.
The Aesthetix Calypso or Pallene would be a great match with your Quicksilver amps and will meet your criteria. There is no information on the Pallene on the Aesthetix website but it'svessentially the premap section of the Mimas integrated and has options to add an internasl DAC ond phono stage. Good Luck!
+1 on considering the PS Audio. I dont have any experience with their BHK stuff but I did run their S300 for years without a hitch and it was a great amp for what I paid for it. The BHK pre is $6.5K new but there is a used unit on USAudio mart for a purdy good price. I am sure they get some of the compenents from APAC but I have been in their facility as its just down the road from my house and I am pretty sure all their BHK stuff is assembled right here in Boulder and many parts are sourced here in Colorado.
Like the VTPH-2a, the Herron Reference 360 is destined to become a legacy component, one that will provide years of trouble-free, unimpeachable performance. A little above your price point but very much worth the stretch, it will hold its monetary value and remain at the edge of the performance envelope for a long time to come. Of course, all IMHO and from a Herron fanboy.
PRIMA LUNA EVO400. PREAMPLIFIER Made the cover of TAS as the top performing tube preamp.
This product exudes quality from every standpoint. Unless you want to spend many multiples of $K, You are not going to find a finer sounding preamp on todays market. I have no reservations pertaing to this preamp.
You can find out more by not only visiting the PRIMA LUNA website, but also UPSCLE AUDIO. Watch Kevin Deal's video about the product and see if you agree with me. I wouldn't buy many audio products on faith, but this is one of the exceptions.
i tried to look at the McIntosh C22 but the only dealer close to me was. Magnolia. They had a room with a $100k at least system and an end cap for lack of a better word with an end cap with a C49 and 275. Not even connected. Sad.
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