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Modwright SWL 9.0SE Pre ... your thoughts welcome

Hey, I have decided to dive into tubes ... well, you get my meaning. I was steered towards the Modwright SWL 9.0SE and so far have read some good things. I'm running a Levinson ML-27 for power and Paradigm S-4's for speakers. My transport is nothing special, Denon DVD-2200 but I am also looking at running a tubed DAC in hopes of bringing the system a little more alive. Right now the system seems a little flat ... not very exciting. Plenty of volume bass end it fantastic but the mid and upper end seem very packaged. Imaging is not very good ... High and mid frequencies don’t seem to blend well. Some CD's have fair to good sound but most seem pretty "plain". Just doesn’t have that delicacy I'm looking for. I seem to listen the SPEAKERS and not the music. I recently listened to an older set of Paradigms pushed by a small tubed integrated and I was amazed. The tubed gear really made the Paradigm speakers come to life ... I was set back in my chair. Vocals were clear and crisp … the sound was extremely detailed and I had to be drug out of the room. Since then I have really started to pick a part my system.

Cables are Signalcable Silver Resolution Balanced and Cobalt Ultimate speaker cables. I'm running Signal cable "Magic" power cables. Nothing fancy but it should do the job.

Is this upgrade going to help? Has anyone experienced this?

Any better preamps in the $1500-2000 range? What about Levinson SS preamps?

Help me out … Please
128x128horseface
clio09
3,346 posts
 
Timo,

Not from the midwest but have traveled through there quite a bit. Been to East Troy, Milwaukee and Eau Claire in WI. Always had a brat when I passed through, summertime or not. Great stuff, but my allegience to cheese is strictly CA where I live now.
mmakshak
589 posts
 
There's no way that I will spend the time to read all the responses on a preamp that I will not be getting(I need a phono stage.), but I do know that Srajan reviewed this preamp, and took into consideration price. Within this context(and what that allows you to spend elsewhere in your system), I believe, it was a rave review.
dwright
35 posts
 
Phono Preamp is on the list for 2006. I have started work on a design that is intended to integrate well with the 9.0SE as well as other linestage/preamp designs.

Please do check back with us if you are in the market.

Thanks,

Dan w.
Post removed 
1markr
594 posts
 
Hey Grant, this could be it's own thread.

Anyways, I'm using Sylvania Gold Brand 5687s right now, and GE JAN 7044s work very well too. I already have 7044s on my Modwright 9000es, and found that the 7044s on both was WAY too much of a good thing.
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