2. amps-preamps
  3. 1013473500

Tube Preamp Advice Needed

I do not have the opportunity to listen to any of these but, after reading posts in this forum and reviews on Audioreview I have narrowed my choices to these tube preamps and I need your opinions on which one would work best in my system. I am looking for a slightly warm to very warm sound due to my bare wall great room which is 32 x 24 with a vaulted 21 foot ceiling. My system is:

Classe 25 balanced two channel amp (250 watts) for midrange and tweeters
NHT SA-3 amp for woofers
Wadia 20 CD transport
Wadia 25 DAC
NHT 3.3s
Cardas Golden Cross XLR Interconnect (DAC to Classe amp)
Cardas Golden Cross bi-wire speaker cable
Aragon Soundstage on order which I will run through the surround processor loop of the tube preamp

If I can get the same quality of sound from my Wadia 20 hooked to the Aragon I will sell the Wadia 25. I am concerned that I may not because I am using the glass fiber optic connection from the Wadia 20 to Wadia 25 and I don't know about the difference in the DACs. The Wadia 25 is then connected via balanced interconnects to the Classe 25. The Aragon only has a Toslink fiber optic connection to hook the Wadia 20 to. The Wadia 20 does have a single balanced output which I might be able to connect directly to the new tube preamp. Too many variables for me.

My tube preamp choices are:

BAT VK50SE
Joule Electra LA-400
Conrad Johnson 17LS
Audio Research LS25MkIII

Thanks for your help and advice.
mnhgolf
abecollins
219 posts
 
In general, ARC sounds very neutral or even sterile as someone else has already mentioned. I own an ARC LS16 and have listened to ARC LS25 series. Also owned an ARC VT100MKII tube amp and sold it and kept my CJ amp but thats another story. On the other hand, I had a CJ PV-14L pre and it was sweet but rolled off the highs and lows way too much, in my opinion. I have not tried a "Premier class" CJ preamp though so I cannot comment on the 17LS.

I am currently using a McCormack TLC-1 passive/active preamp and like it better than: Adcom GFP-750, CJ PV12L, CJ PV14L, ARC LS16, all of which I own or have owned at one time.
mitch
27 posts
 
I suggest the lamm ll2 It is so musical great midrange dynamics to die for and a nice punchy bass Just what the dr ordered for a digital front end No glare or grain like audio reseach stuff. it has great pitch and harmonic balance
classical sounds so good Forget about balanced interconnects Get high quality rca and you wont ber sorry.
Class A single ended to the very end!

kasboot
25 posts
 
Let me ask you something.....who has a Dual Mono tube preamp with dual mono power supply which is housed in it's own seperate chamber with LIFETIME warranty and it's also SET design with point to point soldering. No Circuit boards. Purist/minimalist design and under the principle of LESS is MORE. All silver/teflon wire inside. Remember DUAL MONO design with seperate power supply that's is also DUAL MONO, ie, each channel has it's own seperate power supply. Don't forget stone quite and LIFE TIME warranty....all for under $1000!!! Does anyone know?...I do....
abecollins
219 posts
 
Decware Model ZTPRE
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
But wait, there's more, call Kasboot now and you get the free fish knife, but wait there's more, the first 1000 lucky callers will get the ....
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