To ? exactly. I have heard a supratek on a number of occasions, at a friends place. I think it is truly a great preamp and was going to buy one. The only problem was money. The last I looked the prices were already on their way to, much too much, for me anyway.
I stumbled upon an AE-3 which was stock. It sounds great and I am in heaven. Unfortunately they are not made with a phono section. I like the AE-3 so much that I don't use my other preamps because non are stand alone phono preamps.
I am probably going to get a little SS phono preamp, the Graham Slee "Graham Amp 2" but for MC or higher up that chain.
If you are set on going to another phono stage and a confirmed member of the tubes rule group, then the Manely Steelhead is hard to beat. Another I like is the Aesthetix top phono but it's priced way above my budget.
I am a tubaholic but remain deeply convinced, that SS is much easier to manage. You only have to find one that adds nothing nor subtracts anything and you are set. Tubes are problematic in this application, there is simply too much gain for all but the most carefully selected tubes you can get.
The problem with that is, you are stuck with the brand that the selected from. If you don't like that tube's sonic signature, tube rolling is not easy like it is for most every other app. You have to think with every tube you shell out increasingly bigger bucks for ?Is this one quiet as well as sounding good?
That said, some tube sellers will grade the tube for quiet at the time it's sold with a hefty premuim for the "phono grade. " So if the handfull of dealers that are capable of doing the testimg correctly, are honest about how quiet the tube is-- Just happen to have the tube you want---- Great! If not you just have to hope you get lucky.The tubaholic in me sees the possibility of Nirvana in every tube I hear good things sbout. Nowadays that is a royally expensive way of thinking.
Tubes change during their use and quite a few get noisy . In other situations the tube may become sensitive to vibration called microphony etc.
I own a legendary preamp that is known because of it's phono section. This pre also is known for its absurdly high and, out of control, gain. I think I have heard almost every sound a tube can make.The sweet analog music I expect has turned into a war zone with every mote of dust becoming an explosion and the knob is at 8 O'clock.
Count your blessings and keep it ? do you want to trade???
Cheers and best of luck to you.
