Transistor Preamp that sounds like a Tube Preamp?


You probably think I'm crazy, but with all the improvements in solid state, are there any transistor preamps that have the following characteristics I hear in tubes?

1. Fully fleshed out instrumental timbre and overtones?

1. Full, alive midrange with bloom, body and dimension?

2. The airy space and separation between instruments?

3. That realness and aliveness of tubes?

4. At a retail of around $6,000 or less?

I'm sure I'll be getting some clashing opinions on this....
saxo
Asa, please tell us what "Answer ten years ago: No. Answer five years ago: No. Answer today: No." means. I had no idea. I now see that you are dredging up another thread in which the discussion has gotten much more constructive. Why would you find it constructive to bring it up here?

It is you, sir, who shows no manners, as others seem to have also noted. It is symptomatic of your obliviousness to what you say that you think you are entitled to an apology.

I am sorry that I can afford equipment which you cannot and that it sticks in your craw, but the H-Cat certainly doesn't fall in that category. Please don't ever listen to an H-Cat since you show a bias that might result in you having heart failure.
Yes, that existential reference is more bread on the water, and if anyone seems interested, I'll continue.

Yes Asa, I am interested and please elaborate. Are you still using a Supratek, or have you went with Shindo or similar??
Asa, where do you think passives (resistor or transformer)lie in the SS/Tube linestage devide?
Tbg, you sound like my 18 yr old when he wants something and can't get it! I'm not looking for an apology from you. Why would I ask for something that I don't care about and you certainly would never offer? That would just be drama - but you know about that, right.... BTW, I don't think Tvad is questioning my manners. You might want to check with him first before you start enlisting allies. Anyone want to jump in the deep end with tbg? And, who said I can't afford what you've got? And who cares! Jeezz...

F1a, let me think about it, and when I have a bit more time. On Supratek, I sold mine. It was an early version and it was getting long in the tooth. I was really sorry to hear about Mick. I did that review really early when he just started distributing in the States and he was always a straight up guy. I'm mulling over Shindo on a pre. Not sure if I should go Masseto or just right to Giscours. Then, again, the Doshi Alaap MkII looks intriguing. I almost did a deal with Nick Doshi on a Lectron JH50 years back and he was a class act too, which is important to me. Then again, that Raven looks mighty sweet too. Ah, the obsession rears its ugly head! In transition, right now I'm listeing to my old Joule LA200, which I will never sell for sentimental reasons and because its a nice back up, but with a MkV phono stage that Jud just put out. As I noted in my review of the Joule line stage about eight thousand years ago, it has its limitations, but this phono stage is intoxicating, and I just bought a nice record collection and I am kind of having a hard time coming up for air - which is a good thing!

Hello Publul57. I hesitate to talk about passives because people are so divided on them. I have always maintained that in the best, well-balanced sytems, the preamp is the fulcrum of the whole. Everything is important at that level, but the pre seems especially so. In beginning systems, build out from speakers, but later, I have done best setting the speaker choice (because its so personal), then getting a pre, then filling in the gaps, carefully. There's more than one way, of course, to skin a cat (see how I resisted that!) so everyone has a different way. That has just worked for me. With a passive, it seems like you drop it in last, as if to balance out a lack of transparency. I remember when Steve Stone at Stereophile many years ago pushed passives. I would venture that it didn't go over for a reason. On the other hand, some guys out there love the AA Capitole direct into amps, and they seem to have good ears. Maybe the passive thing has gotten better since I listened. My experience has been that they lack a certain foundation to the music. Not a thinness per se, although that can happen, but a lack of, how do I put this, harmonic density. I'm open on the issue, but that's what I thought the last time I headed into those waters. I've also got a Air Tight 10W SET amp with an attenuator, and I've always preferred it with a pre - for whatever that is worth. And, you know, with the Shindo Augieres out there, I'd be hard pressed to advise anything else at that place. On the divide, given my experience, I would look at SS actives before I'd go passive, but that's just me. On resistor/transformer, I really don't have enough experience there to say. Sorry. BTW, what do you think about passives these days? I would be interested.
Asa, you continue to ignore the malice in your initial post and those following and frankly I regret having ever asked what you meant in your post, as it obviously was irrelevant.

Saxo, I still would recommend that you give the H-Cat a listen if you have one nearby. I am sorry that I didn't just ignore Asa's initial post.