2. amps-preamps
  3. 1099529931

Preamp Recommendations Lamm, Ayre K-1x, BAT 31SE

Curent System:
Ayre V-5x amp
Levinson 390S CDP directly driving the Ayre
Dynaudio Contour 3.0 Speakers
Au24 speaker cables, Audience Power Cord, PS Audio P300 for CDP, Cardas Golden Cross XLR IC

As much as I like the transparency of the CDP directly driving the amp, the system is begging for a high quality preamp. I've never owned tube gear, but am interesting in trying a good one. I like what I have read about the Lamm LL2, the Ayre-1x, and the BAT 31SE. Of course there are so many other offerings from Hovland, Sonic Fronteirs, ARC, C-J, CAT, and so on.....

I listen to a lot of vocals (Joni Mitchell, Nora Jones, Lucinda Williams, Ella Fitzgerald) and simple jazz arrangements, and occasionaly rock (Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, dave mathews).

As lazy as it sounds, I also want/need a remote (which eliminates many). Also, for some perhaps stupid reason, I want it to handle XLR in/out since that's what I currently have.

Your thoughts and expereinces (especially Ayre or other good SS amp owners) GREATLY appreciated.
artg
ethifi
75 posts
 
Rayhall:

Have you heard the Supratek Chardonnay or Chenin? If you have, is it in the same league as those models you mentioned?

Edmund
artg OP
362 posts
 
Thanks for the additional recommendations - there are a TON of good preamps out there - all you need is money. I had read great things abou the First Sound gear, and was considering it, but I have two requirements it (and a few others like CJ, Hovland, LAMM) does not meet 1) XLR in/out 2) remote.

Im also considering the VAC Renaissance II. we'll see. I'm convinced that some of the fun in this hobby is the chase - you know repressed hunting instincts....
rayhall
393 posts
 
Artg,
Understood about your requirements. Still, I think you should hear as much of the quality gear as possible in order to see if the gear that you end up buying measures up.
A CAT can be ordered with XLR out, but it will not be balanced. Not sure about XLR AUX in. Of course, not much point in XLR without balanced circuitry. You are right though. Neither unit has remote.

Ethifi,

I haven't heard the Supratek models. I posted on that thread "Preamp Deal of the Century", offering to put my CAT and First Sound up against a Supratek, but there have been no takers. There has been at least one other thread where one or more responders rated the First Sound ahead of the Supratek. Here is one:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1082540209&read&keyw&zzsupratek+first+sound

Note the responses of Kalan and Noble110. Kalan has posted on other threads about the virtues of First Sound. Kalan and I have the same model of the F.S. which is one level up from the standard model typically sold. For some reason, his seems to be on sale currently here on Audiogon. With that one and a F.S. Paramount on sale, which is one step up from the F.S. Presence Deluxe 4.0 that Kalan is offering, there is a lot of great product for sale right now.
ethifi
75 posts
 
Rayhall:

Is the standard F.S. model the Presence Deluxe II?
I believe you've the Presence Deluxe 4.0 - that's outside my budget.
A used Presence Deluxe II is closer (slightly more expensive) to the price of a Supratek Chardonnay. These are the two models I am considering, given my budget constraint. It's not fair to compare a Chardonnay to a Deluxe 4.0.
One thing I like about the F.S. is the ability to upgrade and presence of local agents.

Edmund
artg OP
362 posts
 
Rayhall-
I full appreciate that the First Sound might be as good or better than some of the other preamps on my list, but my source (Levinson 390S) and amp (Ayre V-5x) both perform *much* better when run in full balanced mode. This is a simple fact, so conceptually its hard to look at preamps that put both the thing feeding it and the thing it feeds at relative disadvantage.....

Im still learing about this stuff, and my gear is in flux as of late, so tell me, do you think Im being unecessarily limiting in my approach?
More to discover