Preamp Deal of the Century

I am wondering how much better the preamps get when moving up the Supratek line. I have enjoyed the Chenin for almost a year (with Apogee Scintillas Steven1960) but I wonder how much better the higher priced versions are in performance. The Chenin is the best preamp that I have ever owned and works great with the H2O digital amps that I use. I read a while ago that Bwhite didn't think the Cortese was that much of a difference from his Syrah. How about jumping to the Cabernet line stage? I would like to hear the reaction of those who have climbed the Supratek ladder.

Stevem1960 - while I appreciate your comments about the importance of speakers, I must comment that most people on this site (& Supratek owners in general) already have great speakers and are sophisticated enough to understand their importance.

While there is some merit to your suggestion, please note that simply dropping in a new (Stevem1960 approved) pair of speakers will not "solve" anything. In MY humble opinion, adding new speakers (or any new/different component for that matter) to a system will only reinforce the need for additional tuning.

There are many factors which come into play when building a system. Trying to create a synergy between components, cables, speakers, room and living situation (limited space-too much space, etc.) can be difficult.

This is why tube rolling is a very effective means of obtaining a more desirable sonic signature. It is much easier to buy & audition various tubes than it is to do the same with speakers.

Of course, cables make a significant change too... but even the most rare & expensive tubes are bargain priced compared to some of the cable offerings.

Baranyi - nice to hear from you. I hope all is well. In my opinion, there IS an improvement when going up the Supratek line however it is not as significant as I had expected. The Supratek products I've used tend to have a very similar family sound and therefore the gains are mostly in refinement.

In my experience, the Cortese (for example) is ABSOLUTELY NOT microphonic, has a lower noise floor and a certain precision which the Syrah lacked. I think the bass was slightly better and the phono somewhat quieter.

Interesting comment regarding the microphony of the Cortese. My Cortese was, by far, the most microphonic preamp I have ever owned. I now own an Aesthetix Janus, which is an all around better preamp.

Bwhite,
Nice to talk to you as well. Are you still using a Supratek preamp? I thought that you bought the Aesthetix separates. Hope all is well in your new home (NC?) Bob