Tube Preamp, uses 6sn7/6sl7. With or Without Phono; With or Without Remote Volume,

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisb5772-modwright-ls-100-tube-preamplifier-silver-tube

Phono stage can be added....

I just bought the Icon Audio LA4 MKIII with the Signature upgrades. Very pleased with it. It does not have a phono stage. Bought it through Audioarcana in Canada. Warren was great to deal with. It was a TAS Product of the Year.

@elliottbnewcombjr, Budget please?

Mike

Cary SLP-98 or SLP-05

MFA Luminescence.

Aric Audio. Cf. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-aric-audio-super-6sn7-preamp

Don't think Kara is still making these. If that's true, then used, this is a good option: dehavilland Ultraverve 3

http://www.dehavillandhifi.com/UltraVerve-Preamplifier.htm

@testpilot Cary SLP-98 or SLP-05.

+1. I’ve had my SLP-98 past 5 years and totally enjoy it. Responsive to tube rolling, with nos, or new 6sn7 tubes. Has a remote and dual pre-out if you want to run dual subs too. You can buy it w/wo phono stage, and just get separate phono preamp. Also, be sure to choose coupling caps to your liking to fine tune the sound in your 98.

I have known about the design in the link for many many years, and once nearly pulled the trigger on the idea of having one.

There are quite a few locations that this Amp Design will be seen under discussion.

A friend is nearly completed their version which will have VT 231 Tubes on board.

I will get my opportunity to receive a demo' in the not too distant.

This can be a very cost effective method to receive a very high quality Tube Pre', that should make the end user very content.

https://darklantern.proboards.com/thread/2324/dual-mono-6sn7-aikido-preamp   

We are having dinner tonight, I'll ask about budget? and remote volume priority?

@elliottbnewcombjr 

I hope you are happy carrying out the Heimlich maneuver, it might be needed when you explain the SP05 and then the SLP 98 as the Budget Option.

I'll take a wild guess, that the Aikido Pre' is a design that is 4.5/5ths of one of the Cary models at at least a 10th of the cost. Add a really fancy casing and maybe a couple of extra $100 will be added.

I have last night been with a Cabinet Maker, who is to produce for me Two Boxes for my Balanced Pre' I am having Built. The Labour Charge is agreed at £250, I already own the Densified Wood, that is to be used.

I was hoping to be the first to have a D'fied Wood Carcass, but a DAC has already seemingly took that position. I'll settle for Second Place and the settle with the  concept 'Birds of a Feather Flock Together'.

As a side, I heard the Pre' as an almost finished Prototype on weekend passed, I am informed there are better quality RCA's and XLR's to be used, as well as a couple of Boutique Components, yet to be tried.

The Prototype was used in not owned system with a Value of approx' £70K, where the resident Speakers are Klipsch Jubilee Speakers. The experience of the Pre' in this system has been quite special, and the Builder made it known they were very confident there was a little more to be eked out.

The system owner wants one as well, they were 'Cheshire Cat' for the most of the demo'.

Both the Pre' Builder and system owner, had been to High End Munich 2023, and both made it known to all attendees, that not anything had been encountered at Hi End, that was a betterment to this Pre'. I will settle for that as a assessment.

How much do you have to spend ?   Radu Tarta one of the best vacuum tube designers in North America , he going to build me a 2nd preamp 

single ended or true balanced which adds a bit of extra cost his preamps either Lundahl or Monolith transformers , not cheap but his $6k -$7k preamp 

will be at minimum as good as anything at $20 k rule of thumb for Anything commercial brand 4-1 only 25% of the cost goes into the product including packaging ,the rest R&D overhead and markup.and Radu’s parts quality far superior  myself into modding over 20 years  Quality counts !!

Can't discuss 6sn7 preamplifiers w/out the mention of Don Sachs and Bob Latino. 

Check out space tech Lab preamps, they have many to choose from with 6sn7/6sl7 tubes, and power tubes for the output stage.

Freya+

Cary SLP-98L or Don Sachs

A Reality Check, I can visit a UK Based Electronics Engineer, who has specialised in Sound Production for more than 40 Years, having worked with many many  Artists of whom some are well known, as well as Recording Studios/ Production Studios. The same individual has built a loyal customer base, spanning over many years, who are enthusiastic about Audio, of which I am one for close to 30 Years. 

This individual is one of the rarities and in my view, qualifies as being a Valve Guru, when it comes to these devices used in circuits.

I know for a Pre-Amp:

A Client could ask to be produced a Bespoke Circuit and Topology (probably £400 for the time and a simplistic Bread Board Layout to get the general feel).

The Parts List with a selection of Boutique Components and Tranx's designed for optimised performance 'if required', will come in at approx' £1500 as a expensive option.

The Chassis can cost anything from £100 - £600, the end user will determine how their chassis will aesthetically appeal, hence the cost variation.

The Pre-Amp will be built at approx' £45 per hour, with the overall build and extensive testing coming to a final build cost of approx' £1200-£1500 

The search to surpass a Unique for a Customer, Tailer Made Amp of this quality in the 'Off the Shelf' Retail World, will need a Budget of 3-5 x this outlay as the minimum. 

My suggestion to the OP is to have their friend evaluate the posts within this thread, and see where their is attraction to them, it is their monies about to be put up to be parted with.   

Freya +...in its own category as nobody makes anything like it, a "class A" preamp that with good tubes (I use NOS GEs) really shines for a bargain price.

I have the above mentioned ls100 from ModWright and can say it's a fantastic preamp. I had a don Sachs and prefer this. 

Get a Backert Labs and be done.

Budget:

$5,000 with phono

$3,500 without phono (he found a phono stage he likes, waiting)

I'm waiting a bit longer before I thank you all for responding!

Pindac, I don’t understand why you cannot name the guru of whom you speak. Surely he does not do business in anonymity. But is it Thomas Meyer?

@lewm I have always been careful about putting Individuals names on the Internet.

It do not put people in a place they do not intend on making themselves known in.

I have seen plenty of attacks on the matter of name dropping, which is in my view, can develop into exchanges that become very unsavoury and the content not good for anybody.

'Some', not all individuals, do not like competitors names dropped in spaces they consider they have the jurisdiction over. 

I am just finished responding to a situation where a very personal attack has been made on individuals within this very forum.

It is 'now known', I know somebody in the UK (London Region) who is time served and really know their stuff. Valves is not their limitation, but their knowledge of Valves has been the main attraction to their design/build services. It is this skill set that keeps their books full with projects that make the backlog on occasions close to a year, for which many (Professionals as Well), will wait out for their opportunity.

I am very approachable, I have received quite a few PM's where healthy sharing has resulted. On occasion  following a inquiry, I have supplied contact to individuals whom I refer to.

When I receive a PM requesting further info, I have contacted the individuals with a brief outline about a contacts inquiry. On their nod of approval, I have made contact details known.

This is the most considerate I can be to individuals who I have classed as friends for many years.

The reason for the Post is not promotional, it is a description to explain there are alternative routes to achieve a Pre-Amp' that the OP's friend can be made aware of.

It is one I have done in the past on more than one occasion and is also one I am taking part in at the present, so in my view, very worthy of a mention.  

Atma-Sphere MP-3 Mk III Preamplifier see below:

Mike

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/revequip/atmasphere_mp3mkiii.htm

Pindac, I see your point, but on the other hand, what is the value of your post if no pertinent information is given that would permit anyone else to benefit from your knowledge and experience? If you want to honor the privacy of the maker, you might find some other way to indicate the name of the  business.  Like "X makes very nice preamplifiers to order, often using the tubes in question".  I just can't see how that could cause problems for the manufacturer, other than an overload of orders. 

ditusa, Good call on the Atma-sphere MP3; I should have thought of them myself.  I own an MP1 and like it a lot, obviously.

deHavilland Ultraverve III ($2,995 when new)

Upside:

• Produced in a remote version, including volume
• Excellent sonically, in all respects
• High build quality
• Very responsive to tube rolling

Downside:

• No longer in production, designer on extended sabbatical
• Rare on the used market (I assume those lucky enough to own one would be reticent to sell, me included.)

A search has shown the most recent Ultraverve MkIII to be seen for sale sold in September 2022 for $1650.

To me and from what I know about this model, that sort of money seems to offer a very attractive device at a very competitive price to other options. 

We fixed his noisy Melos Preamp, dead quiet, no remote volume.

Revision: Remote Volume a must

6sn7/6sl7 still desired tube type.

Budget:

Phono MM and MC included: $5,000 max

No Phono: acceptable, but $3,500 max to leave $1,500 to buy separate phono.

Tomorrow I have time to check out the many preamps mentioned.

thanks, Elliott

erhard audio, VTA sp-16, aikido octal, mapletree audio

 

VTA sp-14 not 16

If remote volume a must, then maybe he has to compromise on the demand for octal triodes.  Consider Manley Chinook or Steelhead (used for less than $5K with phono).

Also consider if buying used, oner that has a space within the Case to mount a Remote Operation VC.

Should add about £150ish to the cost if a good quality one if considered.  

@lewm Just so you know both the Atma-Sphere MP-1 and MP-3 have remote volume available.

Did not know that. Is it now standard on new units? Or optional?

The MFA Luminescence (Lumi) preamp uses the 6SN7 and other octal tubes. The Lumi has been out of production since the last century so you'll have to buy used. Scott Frankland is the F in MFA and he runs a shop maintaining Lumis and will also update the Lumi with today's caps and other bits to make it Super Lumi. 

He can also modify the Lumi to take two moving coil inputs. 

If you feed your pre amp with the line out from the Lumi/Super Lumi you'll get 66 db of gain for low output cartridges like the Lyra Atlas SL (Sigma Lima).

The other cartridge is a Benz Gullwing in an ET 2 pump action arm in an Oracle VI. Feed it into a Super Lumi and you've got a world beater. Not that the Lyra is chopped liver but there's a synergistic magic to the Gullwing and the ET 2 arm.

Scott is a pro. audioeng@ix.netcom.com 

Cary Direct is having sales.

SP-98P New for #3,300.

Uses 6SN7’s. Includes MM Phono and External Power Supply.

with remote and factory warranty: 3 year parts and labor

https://carydirect.com/slp-98p.html

chowkwan

Thanks for all the info about that preamp. I'll pass it along to my friend. I suspect he will go for the Cary Direct deal on SP-98P, but you never know.

I use a Vintage SUT, 3 in/1 out

My Vintage McIntosh mx110z has two phono inputs

This old dog has 3 phono inputs

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295797797578?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=b44105b4-1a05-11ee-ace3-613566326432

Did not know that. Is it now standard on new units? Or optional?

@lewm Optional on both, no charge on the MP-3.