Best Tubed Preamp For A Warm, Rich Sound, Yet Still Detailed and Agile

Just came across this in a Stereophile review of a VTL preamp I thought worth looking into, and it also has me very interested based on the description of the sound. Again, though I would, have to wait for a used unit to appear, in the interest of finances. And not sure how often these surface. 

"

The VTL's midrange—voluptuously rich, detailed, and liquid—made it a natural match for well-recorded voices. My favorite Beatles recording of solo voice, musically and sonically, is John Lennon's soulful rendition of Arthur Alexander's "Anna (Go to Him)," from Please Please Me (CD, Parlophone). The TL-5.5 II brought out every low-level dynamic nuance in Lennon's vocal style; even his raspy upper register was bathed in a golden glow.

The VTL's midrange, however, was revealing and uncolored enough to differentiate among the sound qualities of various recordings."

Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/content/vtl-tl-55-series-ii-signature-line-preamplifier#rjmRYVEXzjebYRpv....

soundsrealaudio, thank you for linking that article, it's very helpful.

jmcgrogan25,804 posts04-06-2017 6:00pm

I hope your Rowland Model 6's are still serving you well!

Actually, the Model 6's are long gone, but not forgotten.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/rowland-model-6-monoblocks-my-thoughts

The Model 6's were some terrific amps, without question the best Class A/B amps I've ever heard. 

I have heard good things of Wells Audio, but I've never had a chance to hear any of their products.
I'll be interested to see what preamp you wind up mating with that amp.
Have you asked Jeff Wells for any preamp recommendation?

Just left Jeff a voice mail message about that very subject. He's a great guy, incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. We've had quite a few conversations about the amp. 

Just curious, what caused you to leave the Model 6's behind, and what did you replace them with?

Not a ton of experience with preamps in your price range (which would be in the $10-15K) retail range, I agree with Al on the Herron. A fantastic linestage and the best I've had in my system by far. Super quiet, very organic and musical. To my ears it may not have as much "tube warmth" as you are looking for but that does not mean it is at all sterile sounding--quite the opposite. Just very true to the tone and harmonics of real music without added coloration. Plus you get Keith's unparalleled support and expertise!

Soundsrealaudio....can you elaborate on the differences between the deHavilland Ultraverve and Mercury preamps?