I have had a Modwright 9.0SE (not Sig.) now for about 3 years; favorite tubes are the Sylvania GB5687s. I bought a used Belles 28A here on the Gon about 4 months ago, mainly to be more user-friendly (I leave it on all the time) for my wife. I'd say they are fairly similar in sound, but the Belles sounds obviously SS...great detail but a little less warmth. Funny thing, I bought the Belles here on Audiogon from a fellow who also owned a Modwright (Jeff...are you out there?) Feel free to email if you'd like more details.
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!