Valve Pre-Amp - Any recommendations?

[Marco]

Hi Andy,

If it helps, I've heard the above preamps reasonably recently in a familiar system, and can say quite categorically that as good as they were, IMO, the Cary Ian's selling here is sonically superior, by a considerable margin, as well as looking fabulous:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...153#post661153

Its big advantage is that it uses 6SN7 valves, which IME are *the* best preamp tubes known to man - much bigger and more solid and expansive sounding than the usual ECC83s, etc.

With that huge off-board power supply and gorgeous VU meters, which glow all blue in the dark, and its huge effortless sound, the Cary will probably be the last preamp you'll ever need

Marco.

[topoxforddoc]

If you're looking for a second hand TRON Seven line stage, there's one for sale now at £1500 - verily a bargain

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread...n-7-line-stage

[AlexM]

There would be some nice C-J options within that price range too. definitely not to be discounted.

ET3 SE Phono or ET5 should be possible. I have an ET3 with Phono and it is a truly excellent sounding bit of kit.

[hifinutt]

If you're looking for a second hand TRON Seven line stage, there's one for sale now at £1500 - verily a bargain

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread...n-7-line-stage

Yes I have heard good things about them and can,t understand why the one at lotus HiFi has not sold at 1495 after many months . I can highly recommend the pure sound L10 too

The little audio m_one I had recently was pretty good and hi fi guy has an m2 at 750 pounds which would be rather delicious . be audio have a very nice modwright ls100 at 2750

[walpurgis]

If money is a consideration, one can do a lot worse than an EAR 834L. I used one for a few years. It's very musical. Prices going up though these days.

[Rush2112]

I used a Audio Research LS 7 not one of their more expensive models and only single ended but great sound and straight forward to use

[User211]

Cayin SC-10. Seriously good line stage preamp that sounds better to me that my previous EAR868PL - which is the same circuit as the 912 but with less features.

It's Chinese though so has absolutely no cred. I picked mine up for £900 on the 'bay, but I can't be sure that sounds 100% the same as an SC-10 as it has been modified by Hit Audio.

[nekoni koban]

In that range, I would join others here in recommending Thomas Mayer's products, in particular his 10Y line stage. I have his d3a LCR phono stage, and it is a marvel, both in terms of sound and build quality. (It is also a monster... together with its separate power supply it weighs in at well over 40 kilos..). You can also have him do them with silver-wound transformers..as you like. If you were at the Munich High-End this year, you probably had a chance to hear his 10Y line stage driving his 10Yx300B monoblocks into Wolf von Langa's field-coil speakers. This is something just beyond words.