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 1 response by slipknot1

slipknot1
1,423 posts
 
I am biased, of course, but here is what I have in my system:
Magnepan 3.6R
Wolcott P220 Tube amps
Supratek Chenin preamp

I find a VERY synergistic mating of these components. They seem to reveal the organic rightness of my analog setup as well. Timbre, pace, image and soundstaging with these three match my listening priorities very nicely. While I have a CD player, I am largely a vinyl listener. The Chenin's phono stage is very hard to beat in it's price class, and very hard to better without spending large sums of money, period. Very flexible gain stage adjustments, and phono loading allow it to work with almost every MC cartridge out there.
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