Best Used Tube Based Preamp $2k Or Under?

hilde45

5,082 posts

02-14-2025 at 07:55am

That Supratek for $1500 looks quite amazing. (Review here: https://6moons.com/audioreviews/supratek/chardonnay.html)

I have been thinking a lot about this Supratek. Great deal. They have always had great reviews and commentary about the products. My initial concern was I had believed that Mick had shut down the business. Which I still think he did, at some point. But mofimadness notes that he is back up and operating. Still, if there were issues, Australia is a long way to have to ship something. And I don’t have a good local tech to rely on. Closest is a five hour drive to Chicago. And in the end, the real deal breaker is no remote again :(

Yeah, I'm an old tube-roller who has spent many years restoring vintage gear.  IMHO, the finest pre-1970s amp I've worked with was the original Quad 2 monoblock.  You can sometimes find them cheap online.  I had a pair restored by the factory and it was worth every penny.

These little Class A amps have to be paired with the right speakers -- no Magneplanars, thank you! -- but when you do, they're remarkable.  In my case, I used them with a restored set of original Quad ESLs.  Dead friggin' quiet, fast as heck, transparent and overall, as J. Gordon once said, downright pants-wetting.

Yeah, they're not for everyone by any means, but I just wanted to add my 2c.  Gear that you still remember fondly 20 years later doesn't come around too often.

@nightfall -

I've been following your query/thread with interest because a while back I was also looking for a tube pre-amp, with remote for $2000. 

If I may, I'd recommend either an ARC LS15, or a Sonic Frontiers Linestage 1 or 2. Both come with remotes and with both XLR and RCA inputs/outputs you have synergy with a large number of power amps and upstream sources. They are also both a tube rollers delight, using 6922 signal tubes and variants. Soundwise, both are slightly on the warm side of neutral. Between the two, I thought the SF had a much beefier power supply, providing a more robust sound, while the LS15 had transparency in spades. Both imaged quite well.

Something else that may interest you down the road--the ability to upgrade the capacitors and power supplies without paying an arm and a leg.

FWIW--after auditioning both the ARC and a SF 2+SE, I went with the LS-15 because it was $250 less. It was a close choice, and I would have been happy with either.

I hope you are enjoying your search. No doubt, whatever you choice you will enjoy the music!

David

+1 on RP1

Tubes4hifi  SP14 Preamp