Tube Preamplifier Time


First of all I'd like to say thanks to all you guys that contribute and share opinions on hi-fi gear as well as all the wonderfull music you've listened to. My musical tastes are all over the map including progressive rock, experimental & classic jazz, and I've just recently ventured into the wide world of clasical. I cant quite explain it but the mood that the latter style mentioned puts me in is completely different than that of any other musical enjoyment I've experienced. My setup currently consists of a pair of Thiel CS2.4 spks, Krell
KAV-A150a amplifier, Rotel RCD-1072, and a Marantz AV-550 preamp/processor all in a dedicated room w/9x10X11ft. dimensions. I guess the question that I have is what would you consider replacing the preamp with in a system like this that I've put together? I think that currently it plays to great enjoyment for my ears but have heard tubed preamps and no doubt want the company. Upon listening to a few models more than a year ago with no cash to purchase at the time I decided for example that the VTL5.5 was more up my alley than say a CarySL98(I believe that's the model) due to how warm the cary sounded. I would prefer to keep the cost below 3K if at all possible

Thanks ahead, Chris

velocityofhue

Showing 2 responses by jond

I love my Herron VTSP-1A, it's neutral and transparent with just a touch of warmth. It's also the quietest tubed preamp I've ever owned. You can often find them used for just under $2K. Happy listening!
Velocityofhue,
If I read your post correctly it sounds like you auditioned a VTL 5.5 at a dealer and then bought one on Audiogon. That's a pretty big no-no ethically speaking. If a dealer is spending the time and effort to set up demos for you he should be rewarded for his services. Otherwise you're just wasting his valuable time. If I somehow mis-understood you and this isn't what happened please accept my apologies. And whatever the case may be I still hope that you enjoy your new preamp.