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Joey,
Do not skimp now. You have a good amp. I know, I had one. Get a good quality tube preamp with the functions you want and listen to many different models because they will all sound different. :eek:

:D:D

Jeff :cool:
 
Jeff Zaret said:
Joey,
Do not skimp now. You have a good amp. I know, I had one. Get a good quality tube preamp with the functions you want and listen to many different models because they will all sound different. :eek:

:D:D

Jeff :cool:

So no to a Toob integrated? Not even the Jolida I initially posted?
 
Joey_V said:
So no to a Toob integrated? Not even the Jolida I initially posted?


why take a step backward ??? certianly in terms of flexibility. There are so many good tube pre's out (good Lord knows we've all be touting them over an over......CJ, BAT,ARC,Cary,Modwright, and the list goes on......) go out and listen or better yet take home and audition whever possible.
 
twich54 said:
why take a step backward ??? certianly in terms of flexibility. There are so many good tube pre's out (good Lord knows we've all be touting them over an over......CJ, BAT,ARC,Cary,Modwright, and the list goes on......) go out and listen or better yet take home and audition whever possible.

I guess I just liked the way the Jolida integrated looked.... looked so cool and svelte.

I am looking at pres... ok ok....

Which pre's would you guys rank as generally better than another? I mean, by maker?

I just want your general opinion.

Where does Jadis stand? Where does Jolida stand? Where does ARC, BAT, Cary stand generally?

I mean it's easy to say this about SS amps....

Generally Rotel is below Classe which is generally on the same league as Krell low to mid-end amps. Stuff like that.
 
Also, I'm having a hard time finding tube pre/amp and amp manufacturers... can someone list as many as they can think of that are good?

I'll start:
1. Cary
2. Modwright
3. Mcintosh
4. BAT
5. ARC
6. Jadis
7. Jolida
8. Mcalister
9. Carver
10.

That's all I can think of.... help poor Joey. :(
 
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Have a listen to the Copland CTA-305 - mine sounds fantastic with Classe amplification!

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1164784534

Also try EAR, T+A, Rogue, Sonic Frontiers, Conrad-Johnson (did you say that already), some Musical Fidelity stuff.

That should keep you going.
 

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Ok so we have...

1. Cary
2. Modwright
3. Mcintosh
4. BAT
5. ARC
6. Jadis
7. Jolida
8. Mcalister
9. Carver
10.EAR
11. T A
12. Rogue
13. Sonic Frontiers
14. Conrad Johnson
15. Musical Fidelity
16. Copland
17.

Thanks! The list is geting loong..

Time to start the search and the auditions...
 
I would also add the Sunfire Classic Tube Pre
 

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I'm at work at the moment, but good thing the ER is dead. I have been surfing the web for hours looking at these god forsaken tube preamps and amps.

I like what I have read and the look of these Rogue audio products. I have a local seller (decibel audio, a store I've been to that sells Von Schweikerts and Audio Physic speakers) that is selling the Rogue Metis preamplifier for $749 from $1100 retail.
MetisFront.jpg


But I'm really really interested in the PrimaLuna Prologue 3 preamplifier. It has dual mono design with dual toroids and separate channel circuits. It uses Solen and Swelling caps among other things and is compared favorably to an ARC LS-16 mkII ($3000). Also, it is point to point wiring, no circuit boards. Build quality is superb also. The price is a little high at $1400... but I'm hoping to buy it for less on audiogon.
pro3silver.jpg


So.. I'll look around some more but I am thinking about heading out to the Decibel Audio shop tomorrow when I get out (and after I sleep.. stupid graveyard shift) and see if I can borrow the Rogue Metis for a day or 2.

This is getting real interesting, real fast.

Just when I thought the system was done, another upgrade.

Stupid upgraditis.

I swear.... I cant be doing this forever.

After preamp... I hope I'm done for a little while... unless a nice Plinius pops up. :eek:

Ok Joey.... focus... preamp first. :mad:
 
Joey,

My two cents. . .

You spent upwards of ten grand on your speakers and probably won't be upgrading them for a long time to come. I suggest a similar strategy in upgrading your other components. Do one at a time, starting with the preamp, and be patient enough to save up enough money and search out a great deal in order to buy something that you won't feel the need to upgrade for a long time. Don't skimp on these components. Purchase a high quality preamp or amp and it should last you a decade or two. That kind of time frame makes it worth saving up an extra grand or two to make the best purchase possible.

I recommend staying with one of the best-known and universally-loved high end brands that is recognized for its ability in manufacturing tubed electronics (Cary, BAT, Conrad Johnson, ARC, VAC, etc. -- listed in no particular order and by no means an exclusive list). Brands like Jolida, although offering a great price point, simply aren't going to offer you the years of listening satisfaction that you will get with a premium brand. As for an integrated, I doubt the power supplies of most inexpensive integrateds are going to be able to supply the current that you need to make your Summits sing. Separates provide you with more ability to tweak your sound, as well. For instance, some prefer the sound of a tube pre with a solid state amp. By going with separates, you can get a great tube pre, and then audition it with various amps, both tube and solid state, to see what imparts the best sound to your ears.

Just remember, the more time you are willing to take to do the research and auditioning and the more money you are willing to spend on the initial purchase (within reason, of course), the more likely you are to be satisfied with your purchase over the long term and not feel the need to upgrade in a year or two. It is kind of like purchasing the Vantages over the Summits, and then realizing that you really wished you had purchased the Summits. ;)

I would suggest looking for a good used tubed preamp from a premium manufacturer in the $3,000 to $4,000 range. That's what I did, and I am very happy with my CJ and don't expect to upgrade it for a long, long time. Good luck with your efforts and keep us informed on your progress.
 
Thank you everybody!

I will inform of any progress... as of now, it is all in the preliminary stages. I will look and listen when I can.

And Rich, your suggestion of a $4000 preamp is.... gulp.... pretty out of my range. But saving will definitely get me there. Dont know if there's that much more Ramen diet left in me though. :(

I'll keep you guys posted!
 
Wait a minute!

Hi Joey,

Don't think for one minute that a valve preamp is not a great upgrade for you, however I was just reading over the thread and it seems you were impressed by Cherian's valve CD Player, not amplification.

Is that right? If so, maybe what you heard was the difference when using a better source rather than amplification. To be honest, I've always thought that a source will make a bigger improvement than amplification, however ML requires good amplification.

Just a suggestion - it might be worth having a listen to a few high-end sources as well to see if that will give you more of what you heard in Cherian's system. If you're not prepared to give up the convenience of the Squeezebox, then perhaps Musical Fidelity's TriVista valve DAC would be a good next step?

Just a thought........maybe try listening to both and see what gives you more of that elusive "valve" magic!
 
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Joey,

The tube output from my CD is in essence a tube pre-amp. Just an FYI.
 
Cherian said:
Joey,

The tube output from my CD is in essence a tube pre-amp. Just an FYI.


Cherian, while on the subject of tubes, do you recognize the location of this picture ??
 

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Cloud Gate AKA the bean, nice, its only 5 mins from my condo. When were you in Chicago?
 
Cherian said:
When were you in Chicago?


On our way to Denver, 9/28, we had but a couple of hours to kill while waiting for our train out of Union Station.
 
A true Rail Fan. You must have walked right by my Condo. Maybe next time we can hook up for a drink. I hope you enjoyed Chicago.
 

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