2. amps-preamps
  3. 1073856084

The last valve pre amp I'll ever need.

Guys, you'e helped before and I've even followed you're advise. Firstly on a quality class A power amp( My Pass Labs Aleph 3 will have to be prised from my stiff fingers on my death bed) and a choice of cable manufacturer(Acoustic Zen) Perhaps I'll be third time as lucky. I enjoy all types of music, from opera (someone has to) singer songwriters, Alt country, Blues and some Jazz. I like unfatiguing detail, a wide, deep soundstage, an even response through the frequency range. I am not fussed about pinpoint imaging and volume that will loosen fillings. My current system is:
LP12/Origon Live Silver Taper/Kotrapunkt B
Shanling CDT 100
Creek T43 tuner
Graaf WFB valve pre
Pass Labs Aleph 3
Acoustic Zen cables/ Kemp and Merlin power cables
Living Voice Avatar speakers
The Graaf is very good and I love the benefits of a valve pre, but it's not the best in the world.I will be building myself a set of 300b monoblocks in my retirement in a few years, a World Audio design made as a kit over here in the UK, so I'm looking for something for them also. The gear is all single ended so balanced is not necessary.
So whats it to be guys, Audio Research 25, conrad Johnson Premier 17, BAT, Hovland, or something else. Thanks again in anticipation and greetings from over the pond
david12

Showing 1 response by rushton

rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
If you have an opportunity to listen to the Aesthetix Audio "Saturn" series of tube preamplifiers, I encourage you to do so. In the "Saturn" series, Aesthetix has used many of the design concepts from the "Jupiter" series Callisto linestage and Io phono stage. Either the Janus full function preamplifier, or the Calypso linestage plus Rhea phono stage, fall into "the last valve pre amp I'll ever need" category.

http://www.musicalsurroundings.com/aesthetix.html
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