$18k Tube preamp for large scale symphonies please

hi Charles1dad,
thanks much for your heartily recommendation. i auditioned and was almost a jaw dropping experience. it paired with Rogue audio Medusa, Goldmund Cdp w/Wadia DAC & SuperVictory II. the only part not up to expectation is bass region. Depending on music genre, songs without much bass & boom factor would certainly benefit miles ahead of other preamp, even SS preamp such as Spectral. Its very quiet and revealing, notes are clean & clear without veil.I heard sounds buried within the huge airy soundstage that i never heard before, eg,rapid gentle metallic tingling sounds(don't know what instrument that is)at backend of the concerto, amidst of other dominating music notes. Imaging is excellent, front & back also well portray. Texture and smoothness is just right, absolute not analytical. Harmonic richness is OK though not great, perhaps due to its airyness, and because of this, separation is the Best i've encountered. From midrange to high freq. is by far the very BEST preamp i heard, may even be better than any pre costing almost 3times as much.
As for the bass part. my dealer is working out a matching amp for me. in the meantime, we also agree that i can try out other pre as well. It's a matter of balancing the qualities that i seek in a preamp. I really have high regards for Coincident now, i Really Thank You for introducing this model as i never knew this brand before.
Anyway, i would hope people to suggest or rank the preamps above as i haven't get the chance or unable to hear due to locality. thanks
- phil

Try the BAT REX line. They are built to handle the dynamics. They also have a solid midrange.

Philip, i think so much is dependent on the other pieces in the system that any absolute ranking is not going to be terribly meaningful. I think you do have to hear these things in your system, which, from what I gather, is not easy for you to do? (I found difficulty in doing it too). I will resist advocating what I am currently using, only because I think at this level you are the only one who is going to judge what's 'right' as part of an overall system.

Doshi Alaap is one you may want to look into.
I have not compared it to any other, just throwing it out to you.
Good luck

Hi Phillip,
Whart makes a very good point,at this level much of what you hear is dependent on other system components. I`m glad you were able to hear the Coincident,I find it sublime in my system yet nothing will ever be without some relative compromise or flaw of some degree.Some other preamps may equal or even better the Coincident in certain specific areas, but as an overall package it is superb and will compete with the very best.

I`m happy that it made a strong impression for you. I find it very airy, open and transparent as you do.To my ears the tone is full bodied and complete without crossing the line toward artificial warmth and color. But this is just my opinion and in the context of my own system.

With the Coincident as a reference point I hope there`s opprotunity to hear the other preamps on your list.You`re off to a great start!
Best Regards,