best preamp ever - cost is no object

Mrtennis, all that I wish to convey to you and others is that they should go to listen to this unit which greatly impresses me and which I believe is unrivaled by anything I have ever heard.

I doubt if you could be convinced by anything I say nor am I willing to try. I have used tube line stages for many years and know that some are better than others, so I don't really know what you mean about preferring a "tube" sound. I can assure you and others that the H-Cat P-12R does not have the grain I have heard in many other solid state line stages, nor any of the smear, slowness, and boom I have heard in some tube line stages. But it is the clarity and realness of the sound stage that most impresses those who have heard the new H-Cat. Please, Mrtennis, don't try it, you might like it.

hi tbg:

as i said in an earlier post i auditioned both the preamp and the amp in my own stereo system, which at the time included the magnepan 2.7 . yes, i heard the clarity, but i also heard a typical transistor sound.

it's not about convincing, its about hyping. a word to the wise is always sufficient.

a statement of its clarity and soundstage capability would have been sufficient, without the verbal histrionics.

Mrtennis, if you are accusing me of hyping, go to hell. You heard a very aged unit and claim to have heard a very transistor sound. I heard a unit of the same age but heard nothing like this. What would you conclude?

As I will say for the last time to you, please do not listen to the new P-12R, you might like it.

hi tbg:

what is the point of this discussion ? i'll give it a rest if you do. you can have the last word. you certainly are entitled your opinion, but your carrying on about this subject makes no sense and proves nothing.

I´ve just inserted an Ayre K-1xe into my system and I must say - that you´ll have to spend very crazy money to top its performance significantly (so from a respective price point this might be the best value in solid state pre-amplification). Better but much more expensive was the phantastic Ayon Spheris tube pre-amp for € 20 grand which according to the dealer is the best tube pre he has ever heard (and he carries a lot of tube pre´s as Nagra, CAT, VTL, Audio Research, Einstein, Brinkmann, T+A and Kondo).

AND: coming back to tennis: McÉnroe was for sure the player with the best "touch and talent" in professional tennis and with 156 titles the most successful ;)