q45

Responses from q45

Minimax or Audio Research SP 9 mk III ?
The only ARC Pre I owned that was lush and tubey was the SP8. I kept it for many years. It seems like ARC worked hard to design the tube sound out of their preamps. The best thing about the MiniMax is you can experiment with different tubes until ... 
Newfound respect for McIntosh
Great review! I've had my eye on those two components for some time myself. I must agree with Narrod - don't be too quick to change the rest of the system. If you have something that is working well - and you obviously do - you can sometimes mess ... 
Pre-amp cables of different length? Or not??
Jbatlanta - Buy equal length cables. Otherwise you will never be able to sell them when you get the urge to try something new. 
A DIY tube amp with a little power, any ideas?
You may have decided by now but, if not, look at an AES Superamp. About $1,000 for a new kit or $750 or so used on Audiogon. Drives my Soloquy 5.0's nicely with 15 watts. Not ear crushing but plenty loud in my small room. Got the best amp reviews ...