Warm Preamp

I've been on the same search myself for a couple of
years...but I want warmth AND detail

Try a Shindo preamp like the Aurieges! It will be exactly what you are looking
for. A word of caution though: Shindo preamps do require careful matching with
amps due to the fairly high output impedance.

As for warm without detail: Rogue would fit that...

I like my tubed Anthem Pre 1L from Sonic Frontiers. Has a matched quad of Bugle Boys in it.

I have owned preamps costing 10x the cost of my Cary SLP98P and will never part with it. I you do not have or care for a turntable, get an SLP98L line stage. Call Larry Diaz @ Highend Palace, and he can most likely get you a very fair price on one. Good luck

I like my tubed Anthem Pre 1L from Sonic Frontiers.

I wouldn't call the Anthem Pre-2L warm or tubey. It was almost solid state in its presentation. For what it's worth.

I wanted to ask, when you say preamp with a warm side, you mean what exactly? Rolled off high frequencies? Emphasis on bass? Fuller mids? Or all this?

I mean looking at your components, Rega CD player is on the warm side of neutral, Plinius 102 is certainly a warm sounding amplifier. I'd be careful with a warm preamp. You overdo the warmth, and you will end up with a lifeless, flat uninvolving and uninteresting sound.

There is plenty of life in the high frequencies you would not want to kill. You lose air in the highs, you loose soundstage and image definition.

I think CJ CT6 or CT5 may be the one to get.

Be careful with older ARC stuff. You may end up with a euphonic preamp that is not as transparent as the newer stuff and will warm up your system more than you would want. Unless this is what you want. If you are going with the Audio Research, I'd be looking at ARC models that were produced between 1996 and 1999.