Climbing the Preamp ladder

my little buttons for volume up and down are cracked.they still work.

Make sure no moisture gets in, and on a dry day seal them up with a thin wiped layer of some clear silicon sealant.

Cheers George

Not sure if it would be a step up in all areas, but there are brand new Audio Research LS17SEs for sale here now near your price range at less than half their retail price.  Also a new PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium in your price range as well.  Not familiar with your preamp or what specifically you're looking to improve upon, but I'd think these units might at least be worth a look.  Best of luck. 

thanks for all the suggestions. last night I tried the DAC directly to the amp again. this time I made sure to adjust the voltage setting with the remote. it did change, in that the mids and highs were much more . . . call it forward or louder. i'll listen to it like that for awhile. however the search continues.
thank you,

Hello, dpm.

Until just six weeks ago, I was in your very shoes. I had spent close to a year searching for ’the’ preamp that was going to keep me satisfied for a long time. I wasn’t interested in an incremental upgrade. I wanted a big increase in SQ without my having to shell out a ton of money. Of course, that is not always an easy find in our hobby, is it?

My old preamp was an AVA T8 tube pre that I had purchased from an Audio Circle acquaintance. It was my first tube pre, and I liked what it did for my sound. However, I found myself wanting even better sound. [I’m sure you’ve never experienced this itch. ;-) ] I forced myself to be patient in order to listen to/audition as many preamps as possible before committing to a choice. Well, I think my patience finally paid off with my recent choice.

I’m now the very proud owner of a Don Sachs SP14/Model 2 6sn7 tube preamp. The base price for one is $1699 USD. The price goes up as you make changes and improvements. My unit was $2900 because I added just about everything imaginable.

The sound it produces is almost not tube-like. It does a great job of disappearing and offering amazing clarity. Instruments (piano, strings, brass, drums, etc.) take on that ’in the room with you’ sound and vocals are....as though the performers were ten feet in front of you.

Okay, that’s a bit over the top enthusiasm, but that’s my experience. I’ve written about it in the tube-a-phile circle on Audio Circle, and other owners have chimed in with similar testimony.

Don is not "mainstream". He is a boutique manufacturer armed with many years of experience rebuilding Citation amps and preamps who finally decided to build new preamps to sell. I auditioned his amp/preamp in his home and got to hear the magic firsthand before deciding. My new preamp gives me nearly the same SQ that a big name company’s preamp would give me, but at half the cost - in my opinion, of course.

I am not affiliated with Don and I won’t get any bonuses/commissions for posting this although I wouldn’t mind a couple beers. :)

I haven’t posted on Agon in a long time, but I’m a regular at AC.

Good luck with your search. Enjoy the journey!

Michael