Preamp Deal of the Century

Nice system, Wc65mustang. For you to say the Grange rates higher than any other peice of gear in your system is saying quite a lot.

Could you please elaborate on the comment that the Grange "digs deeper" into the music. How does the tonal balance compare to the Rhea. Is one more neutral than the other?

Do you use any power conditioning or aftermarket power cords? If so, which one on the Grange?

Also, do you use any isolation products...especially on your Grange and analog source?

Yeah I forgot a couple things. I use an Audience adeptResponse conditioner. I've tried dozens of cords (literally) and I've sold off all of the super premium high price power cords and now use Zu Mother on everything. They may not be the absolute best power cord on the market but at the price, IMO, there is nothing close. Lastly, I don't know if the system benefits from all components using the same power cord but it sounds very sweet right now and I don't fix anything when it's not broken. The Zu cables (IC's speaker, and power) represent awesome value IMO.

2" maple platforms on the Grange, Oracle, and Reimyo. 1" granite platforms on the amps. The turntable sits on a Neuance platform, is suspended by chains, and hangs from the ceiling to eliminate all vibration.

Now the Rhea. An an overview I found the Rhea a little dark. Even with some tube rolling it was never particularly dynamic and didn't image nearly as well as the Grange. Lastly, the Grange separates the instruments better than the Rhea. In jazz trios and quartets, each instrument is more clearly defined and articulated. The Grange is so musical it's scary. These words may not mean to you what I am trying to describe but it's the best I can do here. To be fair, I ran the Rhea through a Pass 2.5 so take this comparison FWIW. OTOH you can't beat the Rhea and Pass 2.5 for flexibility. They really are delights for couch potatoes.

Wc65mustang, I also use a Neuance shelf, although not suspended from the ceiling. It's a terrific product.

Thanks for your informative, helpful and pleasant comments.

Wc65mustang you must be proud of that setup! I for one, and I would think many others would love to see all the pictures you have of your system and its environmental surroundings.Tom

Well after an 11 month wait, DHL confirms that my Cabernet will be delivered tomorrow. I am, of course very excited, but was wondering what users think of breaking in with the supplied tubes or up grading right away to EML 45 mesh tubes. Any thoughts on what to expect in the first few months of breaking in would be greatly appreceiated.