2. amps-preamps
  3. 1115935539

Tube Pre-amp recommendations for Maggie 3.6

Hey folks,

Ok, it's time to focus on the pre-amp. You gave me good advice on the amps, and I took your input into serious consideration during my buying process.

The system is:

Magnepan 3.6
VTL MB 450 monoblocks
Shanling CD T200A CD/SACD
VTL 2.5 pre
analog - TBD

By the way, everything was purchased used on Audiogon.

So, you can see I'm definitely liking the whole tube thing.

I'm thinking of up-leveling the pre-amp, which, by the way, is quite wonderful.

So, where do I go from the VTL 2.5? I want to stay with tubes.

My thoughts are:

VTL 5.5 -I've had excellent luck with VTL so far.
Viva Linea 300 -heard it, absolutely love it!
And of course..... Supratek..... which comes exclusively and maniacally recommended through the Audiogon Underground (1,814 responses to a single post can't all be wrong).

Is there any place in the Western US (preferrably the West Coast) that even carries Supratek (for audition/purchase), or is the only avenue to go directly through Mick the owner?

Your thoughts are welcome!

Thanks
angelsmtn

Showing 2 responses by markone8a55

markone8a55
30 posts
 
I suppose the hi-fi term is called "timbre".
The VLT 5.5 was giving me a "truer facsimile of the real thing"; vocals & instrumentation sounded more real/true.
The 5.5 was far more open; had more "air" in between the instruments, etc. Hope this helps. At the end of the day, I enjoyed the music a lot more because of it sounding more real.
markone8a55
30 posts
 
I originally had the VTL 2.5 pre, but quickly upgraded to the VTL 5.5 pre. More open, detailed, tonally superior.
Though I'm not running the 3.6s, but using the smaller
MMGs. System: Wadia 301, VTL 5.5 pre, M/F XP200 mono blocks
and MMGs. Hope this helps.
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