Preamp Deal of the Century

Bwhite, Can you comment on the Chardonnay vs. top of the line CJ and ARC tubes?

Hindemith - the only ARC preamp I've spent much time with was a friends LS-25 (I think that's what it was). To me, that ARC preamp sounded sterile and had a very bright solid state quality to it. I am not certain if it was a direct result of it in my friends system context or if the ARC didn't match up very well with his gear but I know of a fact that when he purchased a Supratek, suddenly things got WAY more listenable.

Since this friend also uses Conrad Johnson Premier 8A amps, he really, really wanted a CJ preamp to match his amps. He auditioned a Conrad Johnson 16LS in his system side by side with my Supratek. The CJ initially sounded pretty good (we thought) but once we switched over to the Supratek, it was instantly apparent that the CJ LS16 was a total joke. VEILED, weak sounding, restricted in dynamics, artificial sounding, rolled off in all directions.

So.... he bit the bullet and demo'd a CJ ART - while the ART was better, it still maintained much of the CJ character being a certain artificial sweetness and while it was much better than the LS16, the ART was rolled off too - undynamic and dull when compared to the Supratek.

So.. my friend purchased a Syrah and has been happy ever since.

Bwhite, Thanks. This has been really helpful. I have already sent several inquiries about the supratek, and this feedback adds a great deal to a growing strong case for purchase. At the price, how can one afford NOT to?

Hindemith - the Supratek currently represents a tremendous value. I had mine in to be modified by a local guy named Scott Frankland who's fame comes from building the $30+K Wavestream V8 amplifiers - he told me that between the time it would take to build these, plus the parts, Mick is making peanuts on these. I am sure that as word spreads about the Supratek product, they WILL become more expensive - they would have to.

Those of us who know about these today should consider ourselves quite lucky.

Oh God, I love it when I'm right. Its a $10K pre, or more, for @ $2K. As for Joule comparison, I wrote the Joule TAS review many moons ago and I've kept them both. Joule is slower, creamier upper mids - which I like. Syrah is "cleaner" but without any Nordost-like harmonic stripping (which some, eventually, call "lean" when describing Nordost). More people will like the Syrah. Dynamics are incredible and also on the phono, which, for the money, is the best hi-end value I've ever seen. Best dynamic/liquidity balance I've heard while maintaing harmonic presentation. For all of you who bitch about the bullshit of the hi-end mag/manuf/advertisment/reveiewer propaganda machine, this is the one you've been waiting for that restores your faith in (audio) mankind. I've permanently resigned from the hiend, but would like some of you guys to hear a gorgeous piece for a price that is more than fair.

The big mags will never review it - no "upside", if you know what I mean - so you'll have to take the jump yourself, or find one of these lucky ones who bought one to let you listen.

On tubes, I arrived at the KenRad black 6SN7's, which IMHO are mandatory - deep, layered, rich, homeric (I just, er, had to use that term once..). Tall Mullard GZ32 on rectifier. Good luck. Glad you ended up happy BWhite.