Please recommend Tube pre-amp(s)

I have been thru pre-amps from audio research tube audible illusions mark levinson(solid state) sonic frontiers joule electra to name a few names hehe ....I swear if you love music and want to find the tube pre-amp to play it on there is NOTHING LIKE CONRAD JOHNSON TUBE GEAR IT HAS THE MOST MUSICAL SOUND IVE EVER HEARD!!!! I own a little inexpensive c/j PV10-AL this unit is more musical than ANY of the above mention pre amps EASY!!!! i've heard higher up the line C/Js and just gets better and better from the PV10 at something like $1500 new (much cheaper on line) lol to how ever much C/J you can afford you will hear MUSIC beutifull always... get one...!!! youll love it.... :o) ps you will notice i spared you any audiophile detailed descriptions save it for the other gear hell buy and play with as much cool gear as ya can hehe fun.....but do youself a favor an keep a c/j forever....until you can get the next model better c/j its a no brainer these play music....highest praise they love all music BEATHOVEN to ZEPPELIN it will be as it should enjoy....

You will never regret owning ANY CJ tube product, all they do is make music

How about trying out the Counterpoint SA5.1. It is a supurb tube pre amp, absolutely musical and liquid. Though it is available in the used market only, it is still a class A equipment regardless of price. And if you want to upgrade line stage only, you can have Michael Elliott do it. He is the the chief designer for Counterpoint. He can be reached at WWW.atlavistaaudio.com

if you like the cj, then by all means get the cj . . . i own both a VAC and a cj unit, and i love them both . . . the VAC is livelier, whereas the cj throws more space

Dynaco7199 makes some valid points. The most important decision is to decide what it is that you like most in sound reproduction. Do you like the music to sound up front (horn loudspeakers), laid back (Vandersteen loudspeakers), quick and precise transients (the best solid state), warm, fat and bloomy (tubes like old Conrad Johnson, Marantz and Dynaco) timbral accuracy (single ended triodes are the best example), deep solid tight bass (solid state), or all of the above (that is what I want but haven't found it yet!) Tubes offer the wonderful full warm sound that so many of us love (2nd order harmonic distortion), it is more relaxing and involving to some and too bloated for others. Some like solid state for the quick transients and bass, I can't imagine any other reasons other than for low impedence loudspeaker loads, I'll look for another speaker thank you. I like some others think that you can get an old tube pre-amp and in the hands of a good tech who is familiar with circuits can come up with a unit that will compete with many of the mega buck units for a fraction of the cost. This you may not be ready to do but don't discard the idea. I have gone this route and wasn't sorry in the least for it. Conrad Johnson tube gear is very very good stuff (I owned a PV-7 pre-amp in the 80's and loved it) and the Company has been around for a while but before and if you decide to purchase Conrad Johnson in the event you don't want to go the mod route, you must also listen to Audio Research gear. This company has been in business for 30 years has a great tradition of service and in my estimation, offers the best of both tube and solid state and is and always has been to my ears at the cutting edge of music reproduction electronics. Good luck and enjoy the journey.