Wtd: Valve Pre

[Rick E]

I need to scratch an itch!

I am looking for a tube pre. Line level only and single input is fine.
Anything considered including kit based, beat up etc.
The only important bit is that it works properly.

[Clive]

If you are happy to build a kit then this would be good:
http://www.world-designs.co.uk/pre.htm

They do them assembled too.

I'm sure there are some Crofts too.

[walpurgis]

If you want something small and simple but decent sounding at a sensible price, keep a look out for a second hand Musical fidelity X-PRE, the original cylindrical version. It's a sweet sounding little unit, very musical in a proper 'valve amp' way. I've owned a couple and they don't disappoint.

[loosend]

Got one of these for £150 delivered, cost just over £300 including shipping and duties and also has Soundcare super spikes fitted to it. It's very good sounds great even with its stock tubes and works faultlessly
http://www.china-hifi-audio.com/xiangsheng-728a-vacuum-tube-preamplifier-shigeru-wada-silver-p-364.html

[hifi_dave]

You can have a new, shiny (?) Croft for £350.

[Rick E]

If you want something small and simple but decent sounding at a sensible price, keep a look out for a second hand Musical fidelity X-PRE, the original cylindrical version. It's a sweet sounding little unit, very musical in a proper 'valve amp' way. I've owned a couple and they don't disappoint.

I have 2 very respected solid state pre's, but I want to try valves. As much as some ss tries, it's just not quite the same.


Got one of these for £150 delivered, cost just over £300 including shipping and duties and also has Soundcare super spikes fitted to it. It's very good sounds great even with its stock tubes and works faultlessly
http://www.china-hifi-audio.com/xiangsheng-728a-vacuum-tube-preamplifier-shigeru-wada-silver-p-364.html

Cheers Danny. Will have a closer look at these.


You can have a new, shiny (?) Croft for £350.

Tell me more please Dave.

[walpurgis]

The Musical Fidelity X-PRE definitely IS a valve pre-amp and very nicely made too. Likely to be far more reliable than many of the Chinese items.

[Ian Walker]

You can have a new, shiny (?) Croft for £350.

Yes i'd go along with David on this,ive had both the Croft and WAD pre3 and to me the Croft is better.The WAD in my system was just a big overbearing sound that just didnt seem to get your interest,the Croft having a lovely musical insightfull presentation you could listen to for hours on end.

Ian.

[Si74]

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9758

180 posted

[hifi_dave]

Tell me more please Dave.

The Croft Micro Basic is £400 with a great internal MM stage. Without MM it is £350 and I don't know of anything as good at anywhere near the price.

[Andy808]

Depends what sort of sound your going for.
The croft everyone raves about left me a bit bored.
Its very neutral and natural but no life IMO.

If I was you I'd keep my eyes peeled for a MF F22 as its well made and good value and will be better than the croft!!!

[Rick E]

The Musical Fidelity X-PRE definitely IS a valve pre-amp and very nicely made too. Likely to be far more reliable than many of the Chinese items.

Doh! Yes of course it is! In that case I shall do my research.


http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9758

180 posted

I will see what is to be read about this pre tonight. Lot of amp for the money!


The Croft Micro Basic is £400 with a great internal MM stage. Without MM it is £350 and I don't know of anything as good at anywhere near the price.

Thanks Dave. I have no use of a mm stage as my front end is entirely digital. I even went the extra mile to make sure it stayed that way by giving all my vinyl away :)

Depends what sort of sound your going for.
The croft everyone raves about left me a bit bored.
Its very neutral and natural but no life IMO.

If I was you I'd keep my eyes peeled for a MF F22 as its well made and good value and will be better than the croft!!!

My current pre's are both solid state.
A Plinius cd-lad, and a MF-A1fbp, fed by a Lyngdorf cd1.
The kind of sound I'm looking for is something very similar to my Tube Tech Unisis integrated.
I am looking for a pre to compliment a Beard P100 power amp (kt88) driving Coincident total eclipse speakers. These are big speakers in an average size room, and it takes little effort to get them too loud. Not toward any kind of damage!
The pre I would like will ideally be smooth on the top end, but retaining plenty of detail and dynamics. The speakers only just work in this room. And anything too revealing in the top end gets them all excited and a tad sharp.
This is the experience I get with the 2 ss I have.

So, I want the wallop of the P100, and the musicality of the Unisis.

Not much to ask I know :D

People with more tube experience than me, please chip in if you think the pre is not the issue. The P100 takes a few different tubes and my tube experience is limited at best!
Other than to say I like them. A lot!

[walpurgis]

Now to throw you off track a bit.

This is what I'm currently using with my Class A power amp:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEI-XING-MC-9-Passive-Preamplifier-Recommended-/170465480435?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item27b088cef3

It's a transformer pre-amplifier and it sounds beautiful. Only one input and uses no active amplification. The better known examples in the UK come from Music First and have had no end of praise, mine is Chinese and a bargain at the price. The 'English' used in the listing description is a bit odd, I think somebody was using a computer translation app, But the product is very good, well made and comes professionally packaged. There would be some duty to pay importing this. The vendor is helpful and I have done business with him a couple of times with no problems.

Going back to the Musical Fidelty X-PRE, I used one alongside a Croft Micro (the original version) and found the X-PRE superior with the EL34 valve power amp I was using at the time.

[Covenant]

That description shows the perils of using Google translate!