Budget Tube Preamp ($2000)

Hello guys,
First post here!

I am in the market for a tube preamplifier for my current system, to add a bit of warmth. My budget is under $2000, the cheaper the better, Mainly looking at the used market (I love great deals).
My build currently:
- Monitor Audio Silver 300 speakers
- Project Debut Carbon Turntable
- Marantz Cd5005 CD player
- Cambridge Audio Azur 851N
- Rotel RB 1582 Mkii Power Amp

If you guys have suggestions, I appreciate it a lot! For the inputs, if the preamp has XLR that would be great as I'm currently running my Azur 851N to my amp through a balanced connection and it sounds pretty good. This is not completely necessary though.

Thanks!

saltboy10-25-2020 12:50am

Showing 6 responses by jjss49

jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-25-2020 at 03:24am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete lots of good choices out there for 2 grand used surf a-gon and us audiomart if you must have balanced topology then the selection narrows a good bit
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-25-2020 at 04:52pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete consider how you will use the piece in regular listening. For me, I like to roll tubes so having easy access with exposed tubes allows for me to do this without a major disassembly process and moving the components, wires etc. Having the ability to put the tubes in standby or bypass mode is also very nice if you are a 24/7 power on listener. While some chime on about difficulty in locating them, I find the 6SN7 NOS tubes very pleasing to my ears very much agree with the above - good luck
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-26-2020 at 04:40am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @saltboy freya+ is good place to start place it well, isolation wise... that unit and the tubes it uses can be quite microphonic... one of the downsides to tube units, this one is particularly susceptible
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-26-2020 at 10:27pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @wolf garcia My Freya (original version bought new a few years ago) isn’t now and has never been sensitive to microphonics...a myth from some critics that’s clearly nonsense. i am admittedly not a critic... at least not a professional one :) ... just a user, and my experience with a freya plus is as i reported - ran EH 6SN7’s, quite microphonic, substituted old stock sylvania’s, became less so, but still a minor issue, could never get the unit to be silent with tube damper rings, herbies etc etc i am glad you had better luck with this model
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-27-2020 at 02:37pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete easy now wolf - take a chill pill your freya is good... really is it's ok
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,608 posts 10-28-2020 at 08:48pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete the op states below that he already bought a schiit freya plus it is a good unit, especially for the money decent intro for him to tubes in his system let's wish him a fun time listening to it

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