best bang for the buck tube preamp?

HemiDakota (Dodge guy?),

Forgot to mention- the phono stage on a stock DYNACO pas3 is exceptional. Not the end all- but pretty sweet. In case you ever wanted to spin some records- it's really there...

As suggested before, the PAS2/3 in stock form is pretty pedestrian- but it's an absolute rocket ship for someone trying out his first tube pre. It's certainly not INcompetent. Ask around. Upgrades can transform the little PAS into something most peoples' budget would not allow otherwise.

And due to their overwhelming popularity and long run- they are ALWAYS for sale. There are a huge amount of forum threads and websites dedicated to these little gems. Support, parts, and just about everything else for them is readily available.

Such can be said of the bottlehead Foreplay, too. It's a classic. 2 very good choices, trust me.

Check out the entry level Tube Preamp from Space Tech Labs. some reviews can be found here and other forms that will hold it's own against those costing $2-3K all for $480.

I would agree with Valve_and_vinyl. Nice assessment.
Happy Listening!

I will second (ot third?) the Bottlehead Foreplay.

Note, the new Foreplay III is not the easiest build out there. It sounds superb but it is a bit a more involved build than the ver II they had before. Never-the-less, for double the money of the foreplay, I doubt anything comes close.

Regards
Paul

I have the Bottlehead Foreplay II, not the newest edition, and it is a great little pre for the money. However, for a few hundred bucks more, I would strongly urge you to consider the Mapletree Audio Ultra 4A or the Triplex. What you will get will be better overall resolution and tonality and I think you will be happier in the long run. At the time I was looking for an upgrade for my Foreplay (upgrade fever), I took a risk with Mapletree and have not a single regret or ever felt to need to look elsewhere ever since. Since then, I have convinced a couple of other devout audiophiles to give it a try. Each and everyone has found the same results I did, a warm, but resolving, engaging and musical preamp. Mapletree Audio is an often overlooked company that really deserves more attention. Check out their website at mapletreeaudio.com and take a look at what they have to offer. The designer and operator of the company, Lloyd Peppard, is a great guy who stands behind his products 110% and can answer any questions you have. You should also check out the Mapletree Audio user forum on Audiocircle.com. In my opinion, the MAD products are the best bang for the buck in audio today.