I need help choosing my next tube preamp.

Though not a household brand name I would highly recommend checking out the custom made preamps by Deja Vu Audio in Mclean, Virginia. I borrowed one of their amps when I took my amp to them for some repairs and it was so much better than mine I never gave it back! I later picked up a preamp that thoroughly improved upon the performance of my Herron VTSP-1A. I was surprised because I really liked the herron but there was no comparison, the music was much more direct and alive. Though not a major manufacturer they have been around forever and don't look to be going anywhere. They are one of the most respected dealers in the country for tubes and vinyl, keep an open mind and give them a call, Google their name for their website and contact info. Happy listening!

it should have a pretty laid back(more so than the LS-15) but dynamic character, with plenty of detail, but not be hyper detailed, should have good definition in the bass region(deep, tight bass, not bloaty), full sounding mids and produce a wide and deep soundstage.

You're describing the Lamm LL2. Read the reviews, as they accurately describe the "sound" of this preamp. I've tried it in at least six different systems, always with the same result: you hear more music, less componentry. I've heard the BAT and the Aesthetix, which are both excellent, but don't fit your stated requirements, in my opinion.

Hi Audphile1 - maybe I can help a bit. The BAT and the Calypso are both built around that 6H30 tube, so the sound you get from the factory is pretty much IT - and both of them sound ruler flat and grainless, but neither has the harmonic warmth of tubes. If that is what you are looking for - I suggest that you spend some time researching VAC pre-amps from Florida. They have ALL the desirable features ( XLR and RCA outputs (both live), optional MC tube phono stage,home theater pass thru, and remote control. Add to that a 100K input impedence with an under 300 ohm output impedence and the basic tiny triode design flawlessly executed by Kevin Hayes at VAC, and you have the best tube pre-amp on the market, IMO. Musicality, flexibility, reliability, and some of the best looking pre-amps in production all will lead you to the same conclusion.

Joule Electra

The tube compliment for some models above has been incorrectly stated. The BAT 30 and 31 use 6 6922 tubes while the 30SE and 31SE use a quad of 6H30 tubes. The Aesthetix Calypso uses a pair of 6922 (6DJ8 work too) and a pair of 12ax7. So if Audfile is looking for models not using the 6H30 tube, the listed candidates is valid. The CAT would be worthy of consideration if balanced I/O was not needed/wanted.

I can not speak about the 30 or 31, but I had the 6H30 based 31SE for 2 years, and it had great "harmonic warmth of tubes". It just has a little bit of a roll off on top which reduces the detail and ambience in this range. This latter sonic character is not at all an issue with the Calypso. But the Calypso does not have the same bloom in the mids. It's one tradeoff for another here.

For a few hundred $$ more than the LS-15 as sold on the used market, the LS5 is a logical choice. Even with stock Sovtek tubes, this significantly outperforms the LS15. With an investment of Mullard or Tele tubes, a replacement of the caps to Dynamicaps, or perhaps a GNSC update, this modded LS5 would be an unbeatable value in the <$3000 or so range.

There is no way anything can be tagged as "best"; such a label has no value. And the only way to truly know what works for you, in the context of your system and relative to your LS15, is to bring home some of these models and do a direct shootout in your system to your LS15.