Hi Fi World magazine in the UK had an excellent tube preamp they sold under the name World HiFi some years back. I'd try to find one of those! They were very reasonably priced! My other recommendation is to get a Croft tube preamp. They are also UK-made!
Preamp recommendations for Quad IIs with ESL-57s
Hi,
Seeking some advice about appropriate preamp recommendations for some recently refurbished Quad II monoblocks and Quad ESL-57s.
I have the old Quad 22 preamp but am not particularly happy with it. Perhaps I should be more specific but I'm not a refined audiophile like most of you so probably lack the vocabulary. Bottom line - I just feel that it's the weakest link in the chain.
Interested to hear any and all recommendations that won't break the bank. For me, that means a budget of about $1,500 but hopefully much less than that. I live in the UK, and secondhand is not a problem for me if that gets more bang for the buck.
I listen to classical music, jazz, acoustic-guitar/folk and (when the rest of my family lets me!) Jimi Hendrix, Led Zep, Pink Floyd and the usual suspects. Most of that is on vinyl but I'm gradually getting sucked into streaming.
I've probably missed out a whole load of important information. Apologies if so, Just interested to hear your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.