What's a contender to an Audio Reference 5 SE?

So Bo, what tube gear does your "firm" recommend?

I would recommend a used darTZeel NHB-18NS. not cheap but likely close to the price range. it's battery powered, Swiss built like a tank, very low noise, and has a great phono stage standard. and it's sound is very natural and smooth and so gets close to tubes in many ways.

did I say it's very low noise! and very dynamic.

and it can be upgraded to the super duper newer version of the dart preamp if you want to step up.

When you prefer a more tube sound, I would use A tube pre amp with a Pass Labs power.

Why?

Because the Pass labs will give you more control, speed, details and more deversity in the middle freq.

When we audition tube amps it is always very easy to hear shortcomings. I always say; I would never choose for shortcomings when I can get a more complete sound.

Audio magazines get money from manufacturers so they can exist. Ever person understands this. But....there is a big but.....

They will not tell you which tools are superior to tools which they also reviewd. This is the thing we don't like. We prefer shootouts of the best students of the class.

I am not here to say which products and brands are inferior. This is not up to me. But in 17 years of time I auditioned hundreds of sets. In many situations the endresults are not that good.

This is based on the fact that they often use inferior products. Beside this they use tools which do not own all the parts of what we call; Total Sound. Incomplete sound is less involving and less exiting.

When you are aware of properties you will understand better how the stage and sound of your set is being build!

I don't know why anyone would expect a balanced perspective from someone who posts nothing but single-ended infomercials!

Though not as trendy or talked about and owned here as those already mentioned, there is always the EAR-Yoshino 912 (the only pre Art Dudley likes in some ways more than his Shindo), or it's little brother the 868.