best preamp ever - cost is no object

I've test driven many preamps and so far I like the CAT Ultimate 2 the best.

Just a clarification with respect to my earlier comment. The Einstein has 5 inputs, 2 single ended and 3 balanced. Assuming 2-7308's per input (1 for each channel), that would equal 10-7308's for the $1000 that I quoted or approximately $100/tube, not $500 per tube. I should probably also mention that the same dealer had some very good NOS East German tubes for $19 each. These were significantly better than the stock Electro Harmonix tubes but not the equal of the Siemens 7308's. Whether the improvement was worth the money is a personal decision that will be different for different listeners.

Fcrowder,

Does the Einstein use separate input tubes for each input instead of just switching inputs and running everything through the same amplification path? If so, that would allow someone to customize tube choice for each source component, but it would be a costly design choice for the consumer, particularly if all those tubes are switched on all of the time.

"A couple thoughts":
Fred, I don't want to come across like I'm picking on you so please don't take it personal but even at $100 per tube it still sounds to me like you and other tube rollers are trying to play an expensive game of trial-and-error "tone control" with these different "Flavor" tubes! It has nothing to do with "Whether the improvement was worth the money is a personal decision that will be different for different listeners", BUT the "approach" that is used to advance ones system to the next level.

The tube rolling is exactly the same kind of silliness as buying or experimenting with the $2,400.00 Acrolink Mexcel 7N copper power cord that you and Rhyno recommend.

Hey this is a free society and everyone is allowed to use their money as they see fit BUT to me it seems foolish to spend these insane amounts of money on trial-and-error "tone control" through tube rolling and power cord selection when there are electronic devices out there which will give you predictable, repeatable, defeatable and scalable tone-control and beyond, per their original design!

My idea of a perfect system always starts with the ability of the system to be neutral and as true/faithful to the "Master Tapes" as possible; from that point on you as an individual are free to tailor the sound of your system according to your personal preferences.

Which is where I'm at, I now have a system that can be adjusted on the fly to cater to "your" idea of the perfect sound or the "Absolute Sound" and which can dynamically/on-the-fly be readjusted to the person next to you idea of perfection.

I believe that a gentleman in my deleted thread said it best:

To some, sound reproduction is a hobby where tube rolling, cable swapping, isolation devices testing and such are fun and exciting but to me it is not only an art BUT a science, which I strive to advance in the level of realism everyday through the use of my knowledge of mastering/recording techniques, physics, acoustics, psychoacoustics and electronics.

I'm still hard at work on my book, "The Great Audiophile Swindle!" which will expand further on these thoughts and others.

The Einstein incorporates a number of novel design approaches. They do not have a selector switch because they believe that it is exactly at this point, prior to amplification, that the signal is weakest and most easily damaged. Instead, each input has a complete set of input tubes; however the heater voltage to the input tubes is only turned on when you are listening to that input so there is no tube wear. This means that you can customize the tubes on each source and that the expensive tubes only run when that input is chosen. The downside is that when you change inputs, there is a slight time lag as the existing input stops amplifying and then the new input as the heater comes on begins to amplify, so no immediate switching. Please feel free to contact by email and I can provide a phone number if you have additional questions about the Einstein. I previously owned a CTC Blowtorch.