Tube Preamps under $10k with deep bass extension


I'm still goofing around looking for a good tube preamp. I'd like to hear from those who have auditioned some tube preamps on systems capable of 20hz. I auditioned a hovland HP 100 that had fantastic midrange but seemed to be missing a little bit of the lower octave. I'm new to the tube preamp arena and am unaware of which ones can make 20hz and which cannot. I've had some good responses to previous posts which have got me interested in Supratek, McIntosh, and CAT preamps. I also noticed some tube ringing at higher levels. Is this something I should expect or not?
holzhauer

Showing 1 response by rackon

I had an AI briefly, and it's a fine preamp, but the First Sound Presence Deluxe MkII is in another league altogether. Outstanding bass and dynamics, huge soundstage.

The Herron is also excellent on bass and dynamics, with great imaging and a very "live", musical sound.