Please help me chose a tube preamp


I have an opportunity to buy an  Aesthetix Calypso Line Stage amp, I need to know what you all think of it, please.
I do not want to buy something based on reviews of high end audio publications, for I do not want to make the same mistake when I bought Totem model one, Triangle Titus, Audio Research LS3B. All  of these  were a major disappointment for me. 

There is a VTL TL 2.5 available as well, for less then half the price tag of Aesthetix.
I have a Levinson 431 power amp that  will be paired with the selected preamp.

Anyone have any experiences with this Aesthetix and VTL?

Cheers
 
audiomaster

Showing 1 response by kalali

Didn’t catch your budget but when I was looking for a tube preamp to warm up my room I narrowed it down to Aric Audio - two options at $950 and $2700, and Maple Tree Audio at ~$1,000 or a little more depending on your options. I decided on the lesser expensive Aric preamp but his point-to-point wiring design has allowed even a novice like me to take it to a completely different level by putting in much better capacitors and tubes. After a good burn-in period after the upgrades, I put it up against a friend’s ARC LS26 in my system and with the exception of a tad better bass, the modded Unlimited preamp sounded as good if not even with a little better air around the vocals and the instruments. YMMV depending on your system. Just something to consider if esthetics (and brand) are not a priority.

Edited to add that I bought mine used for much less and the total cost for upgrading the tubes and the capacitors - Audyn Coppers, all per direct recommendations from Aric, were less than $150.