At last, the wait is over, for me and I hope all the others who ordered their units back in Feb/March/April. The Syrah arrived today and is now sitting happily in my system.
OK, first impressions: I must say, it is difficult to believe that a tube preamp could be this dynamic, yet still retain the finesse and allure of tubes. But hearing is believing. I have had a couple of excellent tube preamps, the Audible Illusions Modulus 3 and the First Sound Presence Deluxe Mk II. I thought the Audible Illusions, though highly regarded, was still slightly underrated and one of the best values in high end audio that I have come across in my admittedly brief time in the hobby. Though it lacked the incredibly black background of the First Sound and was not quite as dynamic, the Mod 3 seemed more musical to me and somehow less compressed, at least in my system. I know the First Sound is highly regarded also, and I can certainly see why--it produces stunning sound. Yet, I often felt I was listening more to the preamp's performance than I was to the music, if that makes any sense. In the end, it was just too clinical for me.
So, what the hell, I thought I might as well try this bandwagon. It would be foolish to jump to any conclusions until I've had a few listening sessions with the Syrah and tried some tube rolling, but right off the bat it is clear that the Syrah is as dynamic as the First Sound and as musical as the Audible Illusions, and that is with stock tubes and only a few hours of play in my system. Who knows how much better this thing might get--I am definitely in uncharted waters. I look forward to others' reports. It would also be cool if fellow members of this growing fraternity would identify associated equipment so we can have a frame of reference. I'm still relatively new at this, and having the time of my life. Thanks so much to Bwhite, Asa, and all the others who have helped along novices such as myself.
My system:
EMC-1 24/192
Nottingham Spacedeck/OL Rega 250 Mod/Dynavecter 20XH
Piega P10s
Bel Canto EVO 200.2 mono blocks
Piega speaker cable
Jena Labs Symphony IC (cryoed)
Virtual Dynamics Power 2/Audition (cryoed)
Virtual Dynamics cryoed outlets on dedicated circuits
My listening chair beckons. Oh, by the way, does anybody know where I can nab some Sylvania metal base or some Ken Rad black glass tubes?
happy listening to all--