2. amps-preamps
  3. 1385745036

Tube preamp question

Hello all,
I've recently been looking to possibly add a nice tube preamp to use with my spectron musician ii (hybrid upgrade/no V cap upgrade) monos and Anthony Gallo ref 3.1 speakers. I am currently using a Lexicon MC-12B preamp, bybee power filters with wireworld power cables, cardas balanced xlr and spectron remote sense cables. (I am also using lexicon rt-10 universal player and Oppo bdp 103). I love the Lexicon preamp and mostly watch movies but have been more and more appreciating music on my system. I'd love to add the warmth of a tube preamp but is there anyway to use both or would a tube buffer between the universal player and preamp be the way to go (a happy medium). Basically I want to use the Lexicon for movies and a tube preamp for mostly 2ch music. Is there any way to "pass through" the lexicon and use a tube preamp when I want to listed to the tubes?
I would also need a balanced tube preamp due to the fact the spectrons must be changed internally from balanced/unbalanced.
Any help/input/ideas would be very greatly appreciated as always
duckdownman

Showing 1 response by mechans

mechans
3,048 posts
 
I don't know if Cary has balanced outputs but you already know you like the sound so that is logical. The other plus about Cary is that most of their preamps use 6SN7 tubes extensively. These tubes are readily available as Old Stock even true NOS. You can roll the tubes until you get the sound you want.
I don't know if Conrad Johnson preamps have balanced circuits but many of their older preamps have that warm sound you seem to be hankering for.
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