Preamp Deal of the Century

Hi, I felt a bit uneasy that I received my Syrah before you guys. I guess my unit being 230V may have helped to reduce the lead production time (Australia is also on 230V).

I was skeptical of what had been said about this pre but now I can confirm what was said is accurate. It is an experience having this preamp in the system and it is difficult to reconcile the price/ performance ratio of this product to others.

My main reason of this post is to remind new owners that when you receive your unit, do thoroughly go through and understand Mick's 3 page instructions before you plug it in. He expects we are all experienced and responsible triode amp users and unlike the more established corporations, his documentation may be considered brief.

The sound of the pre changes at every session as it continues to improve by the burn in. Experiment with the different gains settings. There are a few combinations. I am currently setting the internal pair of switches on low and the switch at the back highest. The various combinations do sound different.

Experiment also with the different phono loadings, I was surprised the loading that works best for me is not the usual loading of my previous pres. When I mentioned this to Mick's S E Asia distributor this was the reply from Mick:
“The phono, like all my products is a little unconventional and will react differently than other pres- I'm glad he found the sweet spot. Once he gets used to the possibilities of the Syrah, he may find more surprises.”

What had been said on tubes in previous posts are excellent advice.

Thanks again for sharing the discovery of this preamp.

Happy listening,

Wsin: while we wait for the other guys to get their units, have your impressions remained consistent? Any changes? Any problems?

Fiddler did you get your PreAmp???

Hi. I'm also waiting for my preamp (since 4/25). Hopefully will be here soon. In the interim, I'll likely shop a bit for tube upgrades. I've heard mention of a few 6SN7 options including Ken Rad Black Glass and JAN and Sylvania VT-231s. I'm wondering would options like RCA Red Base 6SN7 or Mullard EC32s (or EC34s) be better options? Does anyone have experience trying these with the Supratek preamps, or are the previously mentioned options better. I had purchased a pair of RCA Red Base 6SN7s for my Blue Circle BC2 monos on recommendations I found elsewhere and the improvement was shocking (over regular Sylvania 6SN7). Just wondering whether the two options above have been tried or considered by other folks for use with the Supratek. Cheers.

Outlier - preamps seem to be more sensitive to tube quality than amplifiers. A tube which sounds perfect in an amp can squeak and be rather noisy in a preamp. Be aware of this when shopping. Ask the seller if they honor an exchange or refund if the tubes you buy are too noisy for the Supratek.

I've tried many 6SN7's and clearly the best are either the Ken Rad black glass or the Sylvania 6SN7w's (metal base).

The RCA 5692 red base tubes you speak of are just okay. Tung Sol Round plates are pretty good. Raytheon VT231's are alright. Brimars are too detailed but may work in some situations. A tube I haven't tried is the Mullard CV181 - which isn't a "true" 6SN7 but should work.

In your tube quest you might try looking/shopping for 6SN7GTB tubes. They are new(er) cost MUCH less and there are quite a few different brands available. So far, I've picked up some National's and a pair of Canadian made GE 6SN7GTB's which were pretty darn good. There is no doubt that the character of the older NOS tubes is superior to the 6SN7GTB's I've tried but the GTB's are WAY quieter, less microphonic and super cheap (can usually be purchased for 10 or 15 bucks a pair).

hope this helps.