Compare: Modwright LS 36.5 & Audio Research LS26


I'd appreciate opinions from anyone who has experience with these line stages. OK any comparisons including the Modwright and Ref 3 are also welcome.

Amps: Audio Research VM220 Mono Blocs (the Mono version of the VS110)
Wison Audio Sophias. Music: Classic Rock, Singer Songwriter, Classical, Small ensemble chamber, LOTS of vocals.

Recreation of stage & space, tube glow and midrange warmth and vocal realism, and rhythmic integrity top priorities. 80% vinyl, 20% digital.

Thanks for your assistance.
Jim

jdolgin
Jwarmbrand said:
This is my favorite preamp and I have a friend who now owns one and is also smitten over the sound. He has owned many preamps over the years, including the Modwright 36.5 - the Isabella is so far his favorite by far as well.

Red Wine Audio HAS to be one of your favorites since it's literally all you've deemed worthy to post about since joining Audiogon one year ago. You have one thread initiated yourself(about the Isabella) and 14 answers in other to other threads - every single one of your 14 responses over the course of a year recommends a Red Wine Audio product...without exception. You have made no posts here that do not contain some recommendation of a Red Wine Audio product...not one...in 12 months. You must be Vinnie's biggest fan!!!! :-)

I am not questioning that Vinnie makes fine products, and that the Isabella is worth this poster's consideration, but I find your record of posts here....well, also worth consideration.

Jax2,

Well yes you are correct. It is true I am a big RWA fan! no doubt about it and maybe you would want me to make a disclaimer before I post that I am very smitten over my listening experience with my RWA equipment? I just want others to listen to give it a listen as well. Vinnie makes fine sounding products and has given me the best customer service and i feel good supporting RWA and most of all I enjoy listening. I do not mean for my posts to bother you.

Cheers

Jeff
Vinnie makes fine sounding products and has given me the best customer service and i feel good supporting RWA and most of all I enjoy listening. I do not mean for my posts to bother you.

Thanks for clarifying that, Jeff. No, your posts do not 'bother' me on face value, but I do find it noteworthy and extraordinary that in a year of posting here that is the only subject you've chosen to post about to the exclusion of the rest of the chain of components in a system, and of music itself, and, in fact, of anything else at all outside of RWA. Why it's downright odd to be that myopic about ones devotion to a company, IMO. In addition you've never asked any questions at all - only made statements of support for RWA. I just thought others reading your posts might want to take that into account and put it into perspective - they can form their own opinions, of course. Perhaps others won't feel as I do, but I'd consider your participation here to resemble that of a shill for RWA. As I said, I'm sure Vinnie's gear can speak for itself, and I'm not suggesting anyone curb their enthusiasm for anything, but, to be honest, I find your contributions highly suspect simply from your record. I've had some correspondence with Vinnie years ago and he seemed like a fine fellow with a passion for what he's doing. I, of course, don't know you from Adam, so I only have your contributions and your record here to go on. Someone else can chime in with an opinion, but those are my impressions. At the very least, I certainly consider your record of contributions here noteworthy. If you are not a shill, well, perhaps Vinnie should consider putting you on the payroll :-) I always try to get familiar with folks posting here through their previous contributions whenever considering what they have to say. There are many in the community I've come to respect from their contributions and my connections to what they have to say and recommend, their musical preferences, comments, questions, etc. It's a great feature of a forum like this to be able to look back to the archives to become familiar with where someone is coming from. Apologies, to Jdolgin for hijacking the thread, but I thought I should mention this when I looked at where you were coming from.
Jax2,

I guess i see where you are coming from. My excitement for my RWA system and my past posts about it sound like i am a "shill" to you because this is what ive been posting about since I joined here on Agon. Look, I don't need to be on RWA payroll because I've already been "paid" with much enjoyment from listening to my system everyday. I have no special relation with Vinnie and RWA. I paid full price and am glad to support 'em and will continue to do so. I was not asked to post anything here or anywhere. If I want to show my excitment and post about it here or anywhere else, I am allowed to do it and anyone can view my past posts and I hope they will. I'm not trying to thread-jack or start a pissing contest or anything. I saw the original post and what Jdolgin was looking for and it sounds like he would really like the sound of the RWA Isabella preamp based on his description so I posted to him about it. It is somewhere in the price range he is looking at i think so i thought he might find it a helpful recommendation and there are plenty of others out there too. if not, no problem and i meant no disrespect to him, you or anyone else.

Jeff