Preamp Deal of the Century

Seeking the following information. Thanks for your responses!

1. Is there anyone who may have a Cortese (or its equivalent linestage) in the New England area that I could hear?

2. I know Mick has recently implemented an upgrade, can anyone comment on the relative performance between the two versions of the Cortese (linestage performance only)?

3. Likewise, does anyone have experience with the Grange (and its equivalent linestage) relative to the linestage performance of the Cortese?

4. How is the Cortese offered in its base configuration (i.e. number of inputs, remote availability)?

5. Has anyone compared the Cortese with the Hovland or First Sound Presence Deluxe II? Can you comment on the relative performance?

Linkster,

2. I don't know of anyone on this thread who has heard both old and new versions. Email Mick.

3. I have the older version Sauvignon. I have a Cabernet on order. I will post my initial impressions soon after I get it.

5. Waltersalas had the First Sound PD II and has the Syrah now.

Linkster, if you look on the Supratek website www.supratek.biz it has info on the # of inputs/outputs for the Cortese. According to the website it does come with a remote.

The First Sound is an excellent preamp--it has a "blacker" background than I have been able to achieve with the Syrah, and is incredibly dynamic. However, I believe the Syrah has a much more layered sound and just seems more "right" to me. By comparison, I felt the First Sound's presentation was slightly compressed. For what it's worth, I am using a Plinius SA-102 with the Syrah and have not tried a tube amp with either the Syrah or the First Sound, so you may want to cast about for another opinion. All I can tell you is that once I heard the Syrah, I have never looked back and never get the itch to upgrade my preamp. Only when someone convinces me that the new Cortese is that much better than the Syrah will I consider selling it.

Recently I replaced the Italian Sicte6sn7s on Syrah with CBS5692s red base. My Apogee Stages' high frequency get bright ,hot and tend to be noisy. It made me very fidgeted. After I return to Sicte. The music comes back. The Apogees sound liquid,transparent and relax. The backgrund became quiet. I can't understand the differeces made by Sicte and CBS. Is anything wrong? My Syrah was produced in 2001.