Help me find a pre-amp

Rkfaberdds,

I just finished my preamp listening journey, and I'll try to get my notes out later today......I'm not great at putting that into words, but I'll give it a go. Was a fun experience....and I've ordered my preamp.

So I pulled the trigger and got an LS100 for $2k on here.  The combo of good reviews, low price and aesthetics got me.  I ordered some Sophia Elec blue glass 6SN7 tubes and a NOS Mullard 5AR4 rectifier.  Should be sonically excellent for for the MidFi (circa $20k) system I’m building.
 

Next purchase will be Rogue dragoN and an Aurender A200(unless someone talks me into a Cary DMS 700).  And new cabling other than some older Shunyata stuff I have.

 Congrats.  think you'll be happy. Let us know what you think after you get some time with it.

The importance of synergy between amp and preamp cannot be overlooked.  Whether or not a preamp, of the same brand as your amplifier, is considered the absolute best at its price point, it will 9 times out of 10 sound the best when partnered with its matching (same brand) amplifier.  Go with synergy!  

Here is what I think about the LS100 now that I’m running it with the NOS Mullard & Sophia Electric blue tubes: 

1)Resolution is stupid good as is soundstage..very 3D

2)Female vocals like Fiona Apple, Jennifer Warnes & Nora Jones are just so present & perfectly reproduced.  You could listen all day.

3)Those 70s & 80s recordings that I want to fill the room certainly do.  I get a good bit more volume & extension even though I’m still using my old B&K ex4420 while I await the arrival of the dragonN (Tuesday). Rocking out already with Zep, Rush & Van Halen.

*Im demoing an Aurender A200 with Qobuz as source.  Hopefully I can try a HiFi Rose and another lower price unit just to see, but there’s nothing not to like about the Aurender other than it’s lack of HDMI & it would be the most expensive component in my rig.

**My Chapman T-7s remain a super loudspeaker.  For the $5-6k I have into them, they do everything very well & I simply do not want for anything more-even after listening to Magico & SF offerings