Preamp Experiences with Atma-sphere Amps


I have finally swapped my CATJL2s for Atma-sphere M-60s and with my Merlin VSM-MXEs they are a revelation. Both are world class amplifiers, but I now beleive that IF you speakers are OTL friendly, it is hard to beat OTLs for speed, clarity, transparency, etc. In other words, I love them with the Merlins.

I would like to hear from those that have experimented with preamps that match well with the Atma amps, including the Atma pres versus others, and passive pre experiences if you have tried it. Right now I'm using a Joule LA-150 MKII that is single-ended and sounds fantastic and quiet so I'm not sure that simply running quieter with balanced outs is a goal, but I'm open. I'm single sourced with Accustic Arts transport and DAC with at least 2V output (might be higher)but it does seem the Atmas need some gain to drive them with their highes input sensitivity. Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom and experiences.
pubul57

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Tim,

What position did you put the NOS tube in the MP-1 line stage?

Are you saying you only need to replace 1 tube on each channel?

Have you tried replacing all?