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
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.
Would you two guys just stop fighting? (Asa, Tbg). It's really not worth having this non-stop pissing match. You're both intelligent, you both have strong opinions that clash, so just leave it be....

Tbg, no, I don't have access to an H-Cat that I know of. I will check their dealer list. I actually never heard of it before.

Asa, I can understand your description of what SS does not accomplish, and it has been my past experience as well.

Dcstep, I haven't yet gotten to hear the Capri, but will try to.

Pinkus, thank you for the Ayre suggestion.

My goal with this thread was to see if SS technology has advanced to the point that it was able to overcome these limitations. Perhaps it hasn't and never will. Obviously, there are those who think it has, or perhaps they don't hear what we are hearing.

I again appreciate everyone's time and effort in trying to help. I guess the only solution is to get pieces in my system to draw my own conclusions.
My goal with this thread was to see if SS technology has advanced to the point that it was able to overcome these limitations.
Well, circuit design hasn't really advanced much... and that more or less cooks the issue. We do have good quality materials though, very expensive however, and rarely used in hifi equip. Lastly, strong points for a "very good" ss would be transparency & bandwidth & some homogeneity in signal amplification; not quite your stated cup of tea but your description does not really fit SS you know!
Sooooo & however & IMO &etc etc, you might try an ancient MLevinson pre (the ML series) or a Cello "palette" or an '90s accuphase, or an old series ('80s-;90s) Goldmund. Not easy to find, I know, but better performers than many of the new stuff @ your price point.
You also give the ones mentioned above a try: Ayre is easier to find than an old Goldmund, but a super performing Ayre is more expensive (new) than a used Goldmund, of course! Regards
gentlemen:

keep up the banter. it sounds like two lawyers in court and is very entertaining, very funny.