OP,
is that an EVO 100?
is that an EVO 100?
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.
76 responses Add your response
@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. |
I'm not surprised he likes his Saga so much...I think Schiit gets grief for simply being less expensive (except for pricey DACs) which clouds the brains of those owning pricier gear, or thinking there's a connection between cost and performance. I have a couple of Magni 3s, a Loki, and an original version Freya...all are outstanding sounding things and the cost of each relative to performance is outstanding and unmatched by most. |
No one mentioned the wonderful Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 hybrid. Really a liquid smooth piece that’s all about the power amp quality. Run mine with a pair of TAD 125 “Hibachi” Monoblocks and soon a Cary CAD 808R tuber. I have also upgraded the power line to a Nordost Blue Heaven. I’d put it up against anything mentioned. Mine is mint and prob valued at $11-$1200. Would have been right in your wheelhouse. I see them out in the marketplace every now & then. Strongly recommend this preamp |
@jjss49 Power cord upgrade is done (pic below) Any suggestions for the 12AX7’s? https://freeimage.host/i/2HXPV9 |
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> |
Find an older Rogue 99 with phono stage. I bought mine used several years back and have had no issues. Running Sylvania
6SN7WGT tubes for the pre-amp, with the phono board having Amperex/Holland
7316s and Psvane 12AX7s. Have read the phono board is best with MM cartridges and high output MC cartridges with low output cartridges being only so-so. You can also upgrade the pre amp through Rogue. |
I have a Rogue RP-1 with NOS Telefunken G73–R’s and a Morrow MP4 power cord and and Morrow MA-5 IC’s . I also use isolation pucks and a brass weight on the case . While it’s a good match for my Had Inspire , I wouldn’t buy it again. The headphone output is lousy and the phono is mediocre at best with my modded Thorens . The gain is lower than I’d like , and the noise is a little high. Although it does play well with my Schiit Yiggy . And at about 1 year the LED front panel started having dim spots . When you consider the cost of the items to upgrade it , you’d be better off looking somewhere else . My friend has an older CJ that he spent a fair amount having restored and absolutely loves it . I’d consider upping your budget and being totally pleased , Regards , Mike . |
I had a Freya not the plus. I thought it was noisy even with XLR cables. To me the sound was a bit grainy. But for the price it gets you into tubes and it gave me no trouble. I liked the remote, it worked will and when I lost mine it was cheap to replace. As stated it is close to entry level. I have a Decware CSP3, not the anniversary edition, it has some cap upgrades. It is single ended only but wow in another league in terms of smooth and silky, great harmonics. It was however also noisy. I sold the Freya and replaced it with an Allnic L-3000 which is above your price point but also in another nother league and dead quiet. I can't bring myself to sell the Decware it was so good. The Decware responded much better to tube rolling than the Freya. |
Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) rarely gets any love in Audiogon discussions, but I’ve had their tube preamps for a long time. I couldn’t be happier with my early generation VK-5i preamp (Coupled with a VK-600 with bat pack amp). Their designer has always been a former rocket scientist ,Victor Khomenko, who has very sound designs that always have lots of headroom with great sound. You can’t go wrong with any of their components. |
You are right, there are a lot of fine Preamps out there. I had a used Audible Illusions for 15 years with No trouble. I upgraded to a new Audible Illusions L3 last May and have been exstatic with it. Audible Illusions is an older brand and not in vogue currently, but there are a # of used units in your price range. Check out the review of Audible Illusion units in last years The Absolute Sound, impressive! Go to the Audible Illusions website for the review! |
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. |
My vote is for the Freya +. I have owned a Counterpoint SA 5000 that I purchased new many years ago when they went out of business for $2500–it was a $5000 unit. I loved this preamp until it’s transformer went— taking with it a lot of other parts! I then purchased a used Audio Research on Audiogon. I did not like the weak bottom end and the overly sweet mids. I heard a lot of good things about the Freya + and decided to give it a shot knowing I good return it. The unit came stock with JJ tubes, It sounded good— but not great. Reading about tube rolling for the Freya I purchased a set of nos Ken-Rad 6sn7gt 9 hole top mica black glass tubes, circa 1950. This took the Freya to a whole new level! I now can say that in some ways I prefer the Freya to my beloved Counterpoint! Don’t sweat the small stuff — with a little tube rolling this is an amazing sounding preamp and an incredible bargain! If you don’t agree you can return the preamp and use the tubes on another 6sn7 based unit. |
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. |
Quicksilver remote pre for $1500 new would be at the top of my list.... i have a c-j Classic 2SE and yes they are hard on tubes but if you use a Gold lion 6922 like I have it should last a long time.... i just pulled one out that was 3 years old and still sounded great.... I got my hands on some 6H23N-EB Reflector tubes from the late 70s and they sound awesome , and are super rugged. That is whats in there now and so far so good. |
Surfmuz...if anyone is incapable of reaching over a Freya (which has room for this since the tubes demand the room) to switch it on I sympathize...mine turns on from the power conditioner anyway, although I do switch it off if I want the other items (non tube) to stay on. I don't think this is generally a widespread complaint. I actually have compared my Freya (original version) to other, more "precious" preamps including ARCs and others and it holds its own, and in fact sounds a lot better than many. It is an astonishingly good preamp that's far less expensive than most, mine has had zero issues with microphonics with any of the various tubes I've tried, and cherry picking complaints from here and there is meaningless when compared to the overwhelming success reported by many happy Freya owners. I can only assume you haven't actually compared a Freya to the preamps you've mentioned, or you lack the experience to understand what you're listening to. |
Op, I use the Freya Plus and upgraded the tubes with Ken Rad VT 231 & Melz 1578. Zero microphonics, have no trouble rolling tubes and the sound is superb. I will upgrade to either the Sachs or Supratek later this year but will not sell the Freya Plus, it will move to a second system. Adding 300.00 in better tubes gets you in your budget. Having a "stand by" mode for the tubes allows me to leave my entire system on 24/7 with no tube rush powering up. Granted it is not a 3500 dollar pre but with the right tubes, it makes the magic happen. |
Schiit Freya + Is very entry level preamp... it too microphonic, the tone board is too weak, so when you rolling tubes you always have to be extra careful in case to do not break something... and most annoying thing is that you have to turn it in with the switch on the back, manually, no remote on-off function :) really!!? |
Think long regarding features, options, remote volume somewhere, and I am a big fan of remote balance. I don’t know anything about current choices, After many years, tubes/SS (I’m 72), I am most pleased with my vintage McIntosh Tube Tuner/Preamp, mx110z. two phono inputs ended up being very advantageous. I get my remote volume and remote balance elsewhere in the chain. a good review here https://positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm seems the price has been going up, here is a restored one https://positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm not many for sale now it seems, https://www.hifishark.com/model/mcintosh-mx-110-z hifishark: you can see past sales of any equipment, see the two tabs top left https://www.hifishark.com/model/mcintosh-mx-110-z |
Take a look at Van Alstine. https://avahifi.com/collections/preamplifiers |
