Warm, yet detailed tube preamp


Looking for a warm but yet detailed preamp to upgrade my Rouge RP1 (with NOS tubes). Rest of system is Coincident Frankenstein 300B Mk2, Zu Audio Omen Def Supreme, digital front end with PS Audio AirStream and DirectStream Sr (modified with external power supply for the analog side and different output transformers). The Rouge is a very good preamp (especially for the money), but it does definitely hold the system back at this point. I would like to add a bit more warmth of the overall sound and also add depth to the soundstage (without losing details). And I do want a remote... if nothing else, volume and mute.

 

Willing to spend about $5k used (or so).

audiojan

Showing 1 response by decooney

@avanti1960 Cary Audio SLP 98 is the ticket between warm, dynamic and detailed and responds well to tube upgrades, e.g. Sylvania GTA.

I can make my Cary SLP-98 preamp sound like four different tube preamps by simply changing the 6SN7 tubes and capacitors. And, it responds to different interconnect cables when the rest of the system is reasonably transparent.

TUBES:

The original stock EH Electro Harmonix 6SN7 tubes always seemed a tad lean.

For more detail, neutral midrange, vintage 6SN7 Sylvania GT work okay

New manufacturer TungSol 6SN7GTB, more weighty, less detail, tad more grainy. Not as refined as my vintage or others below.  

For more midrange weight and body, velvety, PSVANE CV181s do the trick.

In between, my mothballed sets of TS Full Music 6SN7s are very nice.

ICs:

Having tried several different pairs of interconnects with my SLP-98 - Apature silver-over-copper, Analysis Plus OCC copper, various Cardas Grade 1 copper, and others... each provided different results as well.

Caps:

Choose your flavor, a whole other chapter on different sounds with this preamp.

 

In summary, when someone indicates lean or full or weighty sound from any 6SN7 preamp I’ve tried, there are other factors involved to yield different results too fwiw.