Best tube pre-amp below US $ 10.000,00 ?

Artg
Just a miss match. I trust you ears. It is OK.

Judy

I do understand what you are saying but I want to make it clear that I chose my moniker carefully so that everyone on audiogon would know I a am a dealer. Certainly not ashamed of it. So I won't be disclosing anytime soon. People are not stupid and they can quickly see for them selves.

It might be noted that most every one who posts on audiogon has at one time or another sold something as well or is going to sell something. So if I had a piece of used gear I might have an alias and use that to pump it up.

My point is don't believe everything you read even from the "non-dealers".

By the way I don't care if you buy a Mercury from me or from deHavilland directly or find one on audiogon used. I still love it. It seems to make the music sound approachable. I am not alone......http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2010//index1.html

Depends on the system and how it matches and interacts with your other components. So with that said, there is a lot to choose from in that price range. I certainly don't have experience of hearing a lot of stuff, but I have heard about 20 or so preamps. Of those my favorite is the Herron preamp. Really lit up my system.

>>10-18-10: Sounds_real_audio
I do understand what you are saying but I want to make it clear that I chose my moniker carefully so that everyone on audiogon would know I a am a dealer. Certainly not ashamed of it. So I won't be disclosing anytime soon. People are not stupid and they can quickly see for them selves.<<

Well that is really lame and a complete cop out. Many others have chosen their names "carefully". Here is a list to review:

Andromedaudio
Knighthifi
krellman
magfan
F1audio
Audiobyus1
Audioblazer
Analogfan
Halcro
Thesoundhouse
Audiolui
Analoguer
Hifimaniac
Analog_Soul
Soundmagic
Audiofile5
Audphile1
Hifisoundguy
Audiobuzz
Tubelover
Glenhifi

What do they have in common? All are "audio" related but NONE are dealers like you.

When discussing a product in which there is a financial interest, a disclosure is mandatory.

To not do so is unprofessional but more importantly deceptive to the readers who depend on honesty and integrity from forum posters.

I've not heard any preamp close to $10,000 that does not perform EXCEPTIONALLY well, really. Only issue would be some tube linestages with some SS amps with very low input impedance. Everyone will tell your the favourite, which is likely the one they currently own, and they may very well have different "sound" preferences than yours. Most recently, I've owned great linestages from CAT, ARC, Lamm, Joule, Dodd, Placette Active, BENT Tap, and Atma-sphere - all exceptional, but with my current setup, I prefer my $450 Lightspeed Attenuator and for my preference the best "preamp" under $10,000.

Frank, did you say you tried the Ayre pre with your Ayre amp and thought you could do better? If so, in what way?