Hey TJ. I just ordered one from Aric last weekend after you and I talked. I’m really excited to get it. Unfortunately he has a fairly long waiting list at this point. Patience is not one of my stronger virtues😉. Thanks again for the tip!
Jeff
AricAudio's new Jackpot 5751 tube-rectified truly balanced preamplifier
AricAudio has just come out with its brand new preamplifier design called the Jackpot. It only uses one 5751, you can roll any version of 12AU7s, 12aX7s, or 12AT7s, as the signal tube and one 12AU7 as a buffer tube. It is tube rectified and is truly balanced from input to output, and it sells for $5600. I put the Jackpot on the 2025 "Most Wanted Components" list for Stereo Times and bought the review demo. It is a phenomenal musical line-stage and a tube rollers delight. Because you do not have to have a matched pair of signal tubes, it uses both plates of one, and there is only one buffer tube you can experiment with many different combinations to get exactly what sonic signature you want to match your personal taste. I finally ended up with using a NOS Mazda 1950’s silver plate triple mica (signal tube) and a NOS Bugle Boy 1950’s long plate (buffer tube) to get exactly what I wanted in my system! Last year I reviewed two other great preamplifiers that were at least double the price, but the Jackpot was at least their equal and exceeded them in purity of tonality and spatial qualities. My full review will come out in the next couple of months. You can go to AricAudio’s website for more details.
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Hey bluethinker, You are correct. Last year I did review the LTA Level 3 preamplifier. It too is a wonderful piece and sells for about the same price as the Jackpot. Remember it uses a pair of 6SN7s, not the smaller signal tube 12AU7 and all its variances along with 12AT7s, 12AX7s which allows for a very precise tuning of the signature of the Jackpot. The line-stages I was referring to were the Plinius reference for 20K and the top of the Line Bachert Labs for 15K, both are world class performers, yet the Jackpot equals them on many parameters and exceeds them in purity of tone and spatial qualities. That's way the Jackpots performance vs. cost ratio is off the charts.
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@teajay - thanks for that info; that's great to hear. Last year I bought a used Aric Super 6SN7 and added that to my 'preamp stable' along with an LTA MicroZOTL Level 3; I liked them both equally but differently, and figured I'd alternate them month-to-month for sound variety. Then I decided to send in the Super 6SN7 in to Aric for his optional upgrades. I played a very familiar record for about 15 seconds and decided right then to sell the LTA (which I did!); in my system and my room, Aric's preamp outperformed it in every way; my other components love it. Nothing against the MicroZOTL at all, and like Aric, they offer great support; it's an awesome preamp - I just didn't need 2 and I had a preference for 1. Also, my MicroZOTL Level 3 came with a pair of 12SN7 tubes; I had to take off the case and flip a switch inside to choose between 6SN7 and 12SN7. |
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