MY ’Best Preamp" is the one I ended up getting for free. I ran into a used Audio Research SP-10 locally at a dealer, for $800, of which I traded useless junk to lower the price to my $600 cash. Within a few weeks after, I bought a used Audio Research SP-15 off the goN’ for $1500. So I had both at the same time. The SP-15 crushed the SP-10 sound wise. No question. (though if the SP-10 had the best tubes ever, it might have changed the balance. The SP-10 uses like 11 tubes.)
So the typical SP-10 price on Audiogon was $3K. I listed my SP-10 for $2300 (notice $1500 and $800 equal $2300) and said buy some good tubes. Amazing I posted the ad at 7AM, and in half an hour had five offers to buy. (I should have asked for more money? Anyway, the SP-10 sold. And I basically got the Sp-15 for free.
Free is good. Best deal I ever did. So that is why the Audio Research SP-15 is the BEST PREAMP in my opinion.
