What tube preamp to get to smooth out the sound?????

Suzy, is this the Suzy that I met over at AA? If so, HEY! Welcome to our world across town! I found that it's hard to get people to think about power cords until they are really eyeball deep into this madness and have upgraded everything else. When we started the upgrade journey, we started with the amps, then the preamp, and mingled everything else around those (eventually swapping out the whole setup, including all IC and cables -speaker and power)- even the amp another round or two until we settled where we are at the moment (have been for 8 months now!)The biggest difference that we saw was with the preamp. That is just our experience. It really does vary based upon what you have. (and the Line 3, with the right tubes, is mellow in the mids, detailed in the highs, and "ballsy" in the bass)
AJ

Hi Angela! Yup, it's me. The same Suzy from AA. After 20 years and more component changes than I can remember, my experience has been that just about anything has the potential to make a big difference in your system. The biggest difference I heard recently was a change in speaker cable -- I replaced $2000 worth of cable with a pair that retailed for about one fourth as much and was shocked at how much better it sounded. It's a myth that you have to always spend more to get better sound. Sometimes you just need to find the right tweak or component -- system synergy is as important as anything else. Nothing makes me happier than being able to improve the sound of my system and actually come out money ahead!

suzy: so you gonna' tell us what the $2K cable was and its $.5K replacement. i'm all ears (kinda like chas., the prince of wales). -kelly

I like the GFP-750 in active mode mated to my CJ Premier 11a tube amp. It has very good bass extension and control plus it doesn't roll off the treble. Compared to the tube preamps I own, its a little harsh but maybe I just prefer that tube sound. On the other hand, the CJ PV-14L was very smooth with nice midrange warmth but seemed to roll off the extremes a bit. The Audio Research LS16 is not as warm in the midrange but extends the low-end and treble better, but not nearly as much as the Adcom GFP-750. It also has a nice soundstage and separates the instruments better than the Adcom. There is a smoothness that I like about the tube preamps but for speed, slam, and bandwidth, the Adcom is better. But I still prefer that tube sound if its not over done. It's a tough hobby!!

PS I sold the CJ PV-14L even though its an awesome preamp. I still have the Audio Research LS16 and the Adcom GFP-750.

Cornfedboy - I really don't want to trash the $2000 cable as I'm sure it sounds wonderful in other systems. It is a popular cable, and I don't want to be tarred and feathered by everyone that owns it :) The point was that a $500 cable sounded better as it was a better match for my system. (The $500 cable is made by Dunlavy - I believe it is called LCR Ultra. Not sure it is even on the market yet, as I picked up a sample at the last CES)