Which Preamp - Modwright or Joule-Electra?

With all my due respect to great work Dan Wright does - these two line stages are in two different classes.

This is (very biased) opinion of the owner of LA-300 Platinum and I auditioned many, many preamps and even owned REX by BAT (also great preamp but with different sonic signature). Jud Barber equipment "forces" me into the music as no other pre- or power amp I know (well, except LA-450 ME which I cannot afford at the moment...)

All The Best in Your Search

Rafael

"I'd say that the Modwright is a value leader "

I agree.

FYI, I have listen to all J-E preamp I could find, starting from LA-75... and LA-150SE of course.

The sound of LA-150SE is very, very close to that of LA-300ME. The biggest difference is that LA-300ME has different (better?) power supply.

Sonic difference between LA-300ME and LA-300 Platinum is much wider then that between "150SE" and "300ME".

That's my biased opinion.

Ooops, "slow", you mentioned. I used Still Points ULTRA-5 vibration control under my preamp (and before that ULTRA SS and before that ultracheap Yeil). No, not slooooow, not in slightest, so sorrrry. Lightingly fast I would say. Also, I use interconnects and power cord which also effect sound, I been told....

I respect you methods of matching equipment you described in your post but I have my own. I buy ONLY equipment which, IMO (biased of course) has "musical soul" in it. I am grown-up and can improve bass, speed, imaging, this and that (e.g. all kind of accessories exist to choose, different capacitors, resistors etc) One think I can do nothing about: substutute designer and give "soul" to this equipment

All The Best

PLATINUM UPGRADE: I was one of the beta-testers. Its game changer. Its so strange to be honest. I have "300ME" and I think its the best preamp in the world. period. cannnot be possible improved. BAM ! I hear 450ME and I want to faint because I cannot afford it
BAM! Platinum Upgarde - I can (I CAN, YES, I CAN !!!) afford it and it brings my preamp on the level of LA-450ME. I faint again, still cannot recover...

What a gorgeous hobby we are involved ! What are lucky people, we all are !!!!!

" Did you have a chance to compare the standard LA-150 MKII SE with its Platinum version?"

No...but why its effect would be any different (qualitively) then that in LA-300ME ? I would suspect that the same upgarde in less expensive unit will make proportionally greater effect...but its speculations, really.

Rafael

Hi Melkior.

I agree with you the CuTF capactitors take months to break-in but...what a paradise you live in. Indeed, compared to its benefit the upgarde is CHEAP, BLOODY CHEAP !!!!

One correction only: the name of your preamp is LA-150 Platinum !!! not "SE" anymore. Request from Jud or Simon the official certificate

Melkior,

In my system, the use of the buffer stage substantially improved the sound stage, palpability, detail and overall musicality.

Kbuzz - your LA-100 can also be upgarded but not by J-E.
You can find good modifier and he can do a number of things - particualrly with signal path capacitors, and power supply, filter capacitors