the belles 21a with aurucap upgrade retails for $3000 and uses two 12au7 tubes. i own one and am using rca command 5814a tubes in it. it is fast, dynamic, with very good bass, and a clear sweet midrange. i compared it to the dodd battery preamp when it first came out and the majority opinion at the time was that the belles let more of the music through. at that time i had the stock tubes (mullards). every now and then you can find one used on audiogon for $1300-$1500.
Modwright 9.0SE Sig. versus Belles 21A
I am in the market for a new preamp in the $3k range. These two have comem up as likely contenders. They have similar features and price. But, how do they sound relative to each other? I have a Modwright phono pre that I really like, so the Mdwright is appealing to me from that experience. But, the Belles also seems highly regarded, if not discussed as much online as the Modright. Another simpler and cheaper alternative would be the Manley Shrimp but I am not certain that it can compete with my other choices. Any advice or insight here? Thanks!