Thanks hanfrac, Nice unit! I found it interesting that you felt the sound better out of this Bryston than a tube preamp. I had understood that tube usually added warmth to the system (a bit of a concern for me, as both my speakers and amp are known to be "accurate".) I ended up getting this unit, but had a bid in on a Bryston 0.5B. I didn't chase it aggressively, as I knew that preamp was already on the way. But, especially in light of all of that, your experiences are fascinating.
Part of the reason I went with Bryston is that this is what the people at Thiel recommended for those speakers when I called them. For sure, this is all subjective, but as a new member of audio, I figured theirs was good advice to get. But then again, I'm told that they're both bright.
Another preamp I'm considering is this one, based on a recommendation earlier here. For sure, this is a future upgrade; but the idea of building my own simply fascinates me. --And, I was hoping, the tubes would add warmth. Perhaps not always, based on your experience. And perhaps as the Thiel rep said, Bryston/Bryston might be the way to go with amp and pre. Bright + bright + bright. Who knows, maybe that's the way it was designed to be.
I just picked up the speakers yesterday, and none of the rest of the stuff is here yet. So I'm anxious to plug it all together and see what I have -- and begin the process of hearing and listening. And perhaps, fine tuning as time goes on. Someone else here also said some wonderful advice, that, in his opinion, the preamp was a harder purchase than the speakers. Certainly this is not something that I can chase with continual purchases to try it. So, thanks again for the recommendations and thoughts!
Part of the reason I went with Bryston is that this is what the people at Thiel recommended for those speakers when I called them. For sure, this is all subjective, but as a new member of audio, I figured theirs was good advice to get. But then again, I'm told that they're both bright.
Another preamp I'm considering is this one, based on a recommendation earlier here. For sure, this is a future upgrade; but the idea of building my own simply fascinates me. --And, I was hoping, the tubes would add warmth. Perhaps not always, based on your experience. And perhaps as the Thiel rep said, Bryston/Bryston might be the way to go with amp and pre. Bright + bright + bright. Who knows, maybe that's the way it was designed to be.
I just picked up the speakers yesterday, and none of the rest of the stuff is here yet. So I'm anxious to plug it all together and see what I have -- and begin the process of hearing and listening. And perhaps, fine tuning as time goes on. Someone else here also said some wonderful advice, that, in his opinion, the preamp was a harder purchase than the speakers. Certainly this is not something that I can chase with continual purchases to try it. So, thanks again for the recommendations and thoughts!