2. amps-preamps
  3. 1350204237

$18k Tube preamp for large scale symphonies please

hi, can anyone suggest tube preamp that's good for handling complex music & large scale symphonies recordings in studio/ theatres? i had audition some: Aesthetix, CJ ,Modwright, Audio Note, ARC but all seems lacking in some ways and definitely not enough air at top octaves and instruments separation/ spaciousness. all dealer agrees that some pre is good at certain genre of music and sound Great even more if music is relatively SIMPLE like vocal, jazz, light acoustic, slow rock and maybe pop songs. Yes i know personal taste varies as well: bass strength & high freq. extension etc. & gears matching too. could anyone share their expreience so i can narrow down a list? my music typically: Van Hellsing & Princess Mononoke movie soundtrack. hope dealers provide constructive comments. Thanks All in advance. -phil
philipwu
bjbcab
131 posts
 
I am surprised that no one has suggested the Nagra PL-L.
philipwu OP
214 posts
 
that's because most people think Niagra not as suitable to play my kind of music which happens to be mostly modern orchestra music and contemporary pop songs. got it?
philipwu OP
214 posts
 
Please kindly read through the posts to understand what I'm looking for. Thanks
lenny_zwik
259 posts
 
Philipwu (Bjbcab), I was just about to suggest the Nagra. It's total BS that "any" preamp, not just the Nagra, is unsuitable to play a particular type of music. I believe the Nagra is an exceptional pre-amp, especially when outfitted with the balanced output option and placed on their anti-vibration stand. They might be hard to find used, but new the combo is about $13K-$14K, significantly below your stated budget. Give it a try, especially coupled with good SS amplification if that's what you prefer. Mine are paired with MX-Rs with great results.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,633 posts
 
Philipwu, I have to agree with Lenny here. If a preamp is competent, it will not matter what type of music you play. I suspect you are looking for something with good bandwidth and detail but if a preamp is competent it will provide those things.

So the Nagra is a contender if it can drive your amplifier comfortably without loss of bass. It is that latter issue that is a concern if you are using a transistor amp. Some transistor amps have lower input impedance values (!0K being typical); this coupled with some tube preamps (ARC for example) will result in less bass. To that end I would compare the output impedances of your contenders; those that have more than 1K at 20Hz would be out if you have a transistor amp as in the example I gave.

Happy New Year!
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