Gago1101 where do you live? I amy be able to help you out with preamp selection. I have a few items for sale on Audiogon now so you can send me a message through one of my ads (don't worry I am not going to push my COunterpoint SA-5000 on you) I just cannot send you an email from this thread. Happy Listening. |
I agree with Jazdoc. I will have a DHT preamp which can use any of these tubes 101D, 26, 226, 326 out next month. All point to point wiring, transformer volume control and custom made transformers which after trying out more than I can count on one hand, hopefully gives my product the edge over all other similar DHT preamps. In many comparison tests, the custom wound transformer was so much better sonically. Once you get the capacitors out of the signal path, the clarity, detail and micro dynamics really are stunning. IMO you also don't have to chase sound from ICs, power cords, power conditioners, as much because the preamp provides most of what they did in my past systems.. Happy Listening. |
I am just about finished with my DHT preamp. If anyone in the local NYC area wants to hear what this preamp can do in their system, let me know. I think you will be very suprised on what you hear. Shoot me an email and we can arragne a meeting to hear it. [email protected] Peter |
Markgarmaise, the Coincident is similar to what I manufacturer but my product uses custom wound transformers and chokes. In direct comparison, the custom wound parts are superior in resolution, detail, soundstage, bass and extension of high frequencies. So knowing how good the Coincident preamp is, my preamp should be superior but I have not done a direct side by side comparison to date. Rgs92, to be honest, most manufacturers uses cheap parts in production. The smaller manufacturers tent to use better parts as we do not build multiple units every day. I am amazed at the poor parts quality and design from many of the mass produced products. For example, wires with low and high voltage run right next to each other, cheap metal for a chassis with no dampening material, caps, transformers, chokes and attenuators. This is the reason there are so many people offering upgrades or modifications these days. That being said, modifications are more than just swapping out parts. You have to know the product and listen to each upgrade to know how much each will change the sound. In my preamp, I use a transformer volume control. My designs does not use any resistors in the attenuator to degrade the sound and I do not use any caps in the signal path to degrade the sound. I have also found that many of the recommendations on parts swapping from Audiogon members are useless. There are many who feel the Dact attenuator is a very god sounding attenuator but in my comparisons it is average sounding and the resistors used in it are nothing special based on long term listening tests in the same unit, same system, etc. Unfortunately, all of this adds to the cost of building a unit that the mass produced companies cannot do. Happy Listening. |
Thanks Charlesdad for your comments. I have heard good things about the Coincident preamp and it was one I set out to beat in my design. DHT preamps are where it is at. Once you hear one, it is hard to go back. The first one my partner and I build was a two chassis design but the parts used in that preamp are no longer available so I had to source replacement parts. There was nothing I ever heard that compared to it. I can only express the sound in this way, if you poured a cup of water into a garden hose and then a cup of water into a two foot diameter pipe, the water would flow without any issues in either one but you probably would not even know the water was in the two foot diameter pipe. That is the way music flowed out of the two chassis design. Music just flowed so unrestricted and musical without any stress, everyone wanted one. I just could not source the parts to make one under $10K. I tried too many to mention (transformers and chokes), had some custom ones built and now we build them ourselves. It has been a long time getting to this point where I can source parts that I need to produce a consistent product. I use a 226 or you can use the 101D tube. I really want to hear a pair of Western Electric 101D tubes but too pricey for me. The 101D tubes used in the Coincident where just OK sounding compared to the 226 tube for my tastes but to each his own and you can swap them out without any issues in my design. The custom transformer that we now make really made a big difference in overall sound quality. You would never know it except in direct comparison. My partner and I were impressed that this happened and it will be what sets us apart from our competition. In addition, we will be the only company making a preamp where you can adjust the sound of the preamp by turning a selector switch. When trying to figure out the final parts design of the preamp, I had to choose the final parts section. Some parts seemed more open, some better soundstage and placement, some more musical, some more dynamic with better resolution. I spend months listening to these select parts, keeping notes, asking other audiophiles for their opinions, etc. I set up the prototype with a selector switch so that I could change between the parts, much simpler then soldering them in and out. It then dawned on me to keep the selector switch and let the consumer decide on what sound they preferred. It also helps with different recordings. Some are better than others, brighter, softer, etc. So now the consumer can select the sound they want or switch the sound anytime. It may change the way consumers value interconnects! Cables make less of a difference in my opinion with DHT preamps and so far the preamp and selection switch offers more than any interconnects I have tried. All this being said, have we built best preamp ever, no but it sure beats the pants of all of the mass produced preamps we have compared it to. Anyone in the NYC area feel free to contact me and we can arrange for you to hear one in your system. Anyone in an audio club interested please feel free to also contact me to audition. The final chassis should be done within the next four to six weeks but I have prototypes to audition now. Happy Listening. |
