2. amps-preamps
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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
 
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.
newbee
4,093 posts
 
Interesting post. Good stuff being discussed, but if your analysis of the the '302' is the same as mine, that is if anything the highs are a bit rolled but the mid-range and upper-mid range are a tad too crist (too fast or shortened decay, perhaps) then a SOTA pre-amp may be less of a solution than a pre-amp that allows you to get where you want to go by tube selection. FWIW, I never got where I wanted to go with my '302' direct to 6 different amps with all kinds of tubes, nor thru a couple of excellent pre-amps with limited tube selection. So far it sounds best to me using some fairly modest stuff (amp and pre-amp) which is very tunable without breaking the bank.

FWIW.
tpsonic
1,092 posts
 
2nd the First Sound Deluxe.Tube rolling for desired sound is simple and Emmanual Go is wonderful on service.
tweak1
870 posts
 
If your source and amp are balanced designs (more than just having XLR I/Os) then your priority would be a balanced tube pre such as BAT, Vincent just came out with one though I have no idea as to its' sonic signature
dopogue
1,767 posts
 
I replaced a CJ Premier 17LS2 with an Aesthetix Calypso and couldn't be happier.
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