I am nearly 100% vinyl and confess a predisposition to a tube pre and ss power setup. With those admissions out of the way, i would cast a strong second for a Supratek preamp. Great build quality - hand wired - and a transferable lifetime warranty. Not to mention the eye appeal. Have had a number of preamps over the years - most recently a Conrad Johnson unit. Picked up the Supratek Chenin - I think the Cortese is the current model - about 8 years ago and see no reason to ever change. A new unit is under your $5k limit and half that if you are fortunate enough to find one of the few which come up for resale. Have previously paired it with both CJ and Threshold ss power amps, driving Magneplanar and Golden Ear speakers. Currently using a pair of PS Audio monoblocks driving Diptyque planar speakers. Sounds great to this old man’s ears.
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- 50 posts total
- 50 posts total

