Thanks for all the help fellas, I pulled the trigger on a Primaluna. I had to reel myself back in, some of the suggestions had me looking at gear that was way over budget. thankfully none were readily available haha. From what I’ve researched, the Primaluna should check all the boxes....my only reservation was that it was made in china but I couldn’t find a single complaint about reliability. Well see how it goes.
Tubed Preamp recommendations?
Hi all- so im looking for a tubed preamp (used) in the $1k-$1.5 (max) range. I can’t decide. the list of contenders is too strong...I was looking at a PrimaLuna 3, BAT Vk30 as well as various ARC’s..then a Levinson 38 popped up...wow.
I prefer my sound on the warm and silky side of things..but not dark/syrupy. Thoughts, comments are much appreciated.
My system: Meridian 556, Musical Paradise tubed DAC, bluesound Node2i, Schiit Saga/Psvane, KEF Q150, pinetree audio IC’s/Cords throughout, MonsterPower line conditioner.
I prefer my sound on the warm and silky side of things..but not dark/syrupy. Thoughts, comments are much appreciated.
My system: Meridian 556, Musical Paradise tubed DAC, bluesound Node2i, Schiit Saga/Psvane, KEF Q150, pinetree audio IC’s/Cords throughout, MonsterPower line conditioner.
Showing 10 responses by jl1ny
Thanks for all the suggestions! Keep em comin! The modwright and dehavilland look really nice but would most likely cross the budget line on the used market. QuickSliver is perhaps the most cost friendly unit of the bunch, Primaluna’s open top design and scores points for looks and build quality (and the price is pretty good). I don't want to jump on something compulsively but at the same time Id hate to pass on a great deal. What surprises me is that no one has recommended ARC...Interesting. |
Great stuff fellas, Modwright and the DeHavilland are now both on the list and after much reading I took vintage ARC and CJ off the list because I don’t want to have to deal with repairs. Speaking of ARC, there is a fairly modern SP16L that’s available and has good reviews...the Rogue looks cool, I haven’t looked into them yet. As for the Schiit, I’ll pass on the Freya...I have nothing bad to say about my Saga and with the Psvane tube it sounds really nice...the remote and the way it interacts with the volume knob i find a little quirky but otherwise it’s big bang for the buck. Nevertheless, i want a preamp that I can build around rather than have to upgrade. |
The Primaluna arrived today...verrry interesting stuff here fellas. For starters it’s really well made gear, built well above it’s price point. What amazed me was how different it sounds from the Schiit Saga/Psvane preamp I’ve been using...this piece of Schiit is NO JOKE! the Saga’s soundstage is waaayyy deeper and more detailed than the Primaluna. The PL’s soundstage is pushed much more forward. What I didn’t like about the Saga was that it was very revealing of recordings where as the PL has that lush tube sound I just love. I can’t wait to sit down for a few hours and get the full gist of the PL. Still scratching my head over how clean the Saga is. Amazing Schiit! haha....Click link for eye candy! <html>https://iili.io/2HzN5v.jpg</html> |
@jjss49 Power cord upgrade is done (pic below) Any suggestions for the 12AX7’s? https://freeimage.host/i/2HXPV9 |
@wolf_garcia I’ve read that the Saga performs way above its price but had nothing to A-B with prior to getting the Primaluna. I’ve left my system on overnight and been listening to the PL all morning, its nizzzzzze. The tubes are stock and new, so i’ll see how it goes but ultimately if i can roll the tubes to give me a tiny bit more lush in the highs i’ll be really happy camper. |