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Cary SLP-03 pre-amp: Does it need better tubes than stock to sound its best??/

Need some feedback about the Cary SLP-03 pre-amp  How good is it "new right out of the box"?? 

Does it need  tube rolling to sound its "very best" or considered audiophile grade sound?

I have read one review of the pre-amp claiming  that RCA NOS 5814A tubes, or Mullards  tubes bring it to higher level off performance, or a  mix of two each. 

Supposedly , the pre-amp is.... "extremely tube sensitive"  I am not sure what the significance of that phrase means 

It would be hooked to a BAT VK-200 amp,.... and like the amp, it has both XLR and RCA connectors  

Thank you


  



sunnyjim
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 

In answer to your original question, many people, myself included, believe that there are significant sonic differences between tubes and that you can improve or tune the sound of your gear by trying tubes other than the stock tubes that come from the factory. Some people find New Old Stock (NOS) tubes to be too expensive and prefer to buy current production tubes. There are plenty of both available.

"Extreme tube sensitivity" means that the differences between tubes can be easily heard through that particular preamp.

If you don’t want to spend a good amount of time learning about the characteristics of different tubes, it’s best to buy from a knowledgeable, reputable tube dealer who can explain what type of changes to the sound you can expect from different tubes. It would be best to have a handle on the sound of the tubes currently in the preamp  and an idea of what kind of changes you would like to hear before you contact a tube dealer.

If you have any other questions about tubes, just ask.
sunnyjim OP
884 posts
 

To tomcy6.   Thank you for comments and advice.  They make good sense.

Yes, I would evaluate the sound quality before doing any tube rolling. I did this when changing the two stock tubes to Mulllards in my  Rogue Sphinx integrated which is currently being used as a pre-amp.

On the other hand,  I never was a big fan of  tube rolling because of its expense, and complexity of finding the right tube.  Fortunately, SHOULD I decide to go with the Cary SPL-03,  I have a good and knowledgeable audio dealer near of L..A...... Upscale Audio. 

To audio connection, Thanks  for the reply about the ARC SP16.

BTW, I am not sure the seller identified the pre-amp correctly, listing  the piece as a SP16i,  not  a SP16

 

audioconnection
1,015 posts
 
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-audio-research-ls16-tube-preamplifier-8504-2016-10-12-preampl...

Here ya go
 Best JohnnyR
lpman
5 posts
 
Cary SLP-03 pre-amp is a wonderful pre-amp and sounds very musical! That is the word you need to know, very musical. Differences between tubes can be easily heard through the SLP 03 because it is sensitive enough to reveal different tube; that is a big plus! It is well designed and constructed with a serious power supply. The unit weighs 25 Lbs. For me it replaced an ARC 25 MKII (5500 dollars) and is more musical sounding than the ARC. The ARC weighs a lot less. The Cary needs a good platform along with good footers. Hook up the very best cables that you can afford, Power Cable & Inner connects. It is a balanced component, so to get the very best out of it, it should be at the very least used with a balanced amplifier! Synergy is a must in audio !!!! With good speakers and some tube rolling, you should be in heaven. One more tweak is required; it needs a VPI Brick on top where the transformers are! Happy listening. 

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