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Which tubed pre to "flesh out" my mids???

Hello all...It is finally time to insert a linestage between my Wadia 302 and ASL 1009's. Ultimate priorities are a rich, lush midrange, and a tight bottom end. My preference leans toward the euphonic side, but I can't sacrifice much detail or dynamics to get it. I won't get a chance to audition much stuff prior to purchasing since I'll be buying used off the net...so if anyone has a clue how some linestages will work within my system and to my stated taste, any help would be appreciated...TIA.

Some contenders are the Joule LA-150mk11, Cat Ultimate, Supratek (forgot the model), Hovland (forget the model again), basically anything under $3k used thought that may rule out the Cat.

System

Wadia 302
ASL 1009DT
Sonus Faber Guarneri
TG Audio ic & speaker cables
jman
tvad
9,467 posts
 
First Sound
makes one of the best preamps that I know of.
Cenline (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)

Agreed.

Ultimate priorities are a rich, lush midrange, and a tight bottom end. My preference leans toward the euphonic side.

However, my experience with a First Sound is that it fulfills only the tight bottom end criteria of the OP. Rich, lush midrange with a euphonic quality? Not that I've heard. Not even close.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
Check out the c-j Premier 17LS2. It sells for about $3000 used and I think it will do what you are looking for. There is a Stereophile review of of the 17LS online (the 17LS2 is an upgraded version). I think the tested unit had an output impedence that topped out around 1.5 kohms so make sure that your amp has a high enough input impedence or it may cause bass problems.
jman OP
99 posts
 
Thanks for the replies...I'm gonna take out the Supratek and add the CJ 17 and Lamm LL2 as contenders.
triode
263 posts
 
Cary SLP-98, the F1 version (direct coupled for superb bass) in particular.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Of all the preamps I have owned, the Lamm LL2 Deluxe is perhaps my favorite,
and that's coming from someone who now owns a Lamm L2 Reference. It has a
certain magic that's difficult to explain. It requires quiet tubes, so be certain to
find good quality NOS tubes that are checked for low noise.

BTW, I also owned a Supratek Cortese at one point. The Cortese had more
"bloom" than the LL2 Deluxe, but other than that there was nothing
the LL2 Deluxe did not do better.
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