Hi End Pre-Amp shoot out in central jersey?

I think Mechans is referring to a phono stage?

NOT! Very very few phono stages, new or old, go much beyond 60db. And nearly all that have this much gain achieve it with a step-up transformer which takes a typical MM stage of 35-40db up another 20 to achieve 55-60db to support medium-output MC's.

db = 20Log(Av), where Av is the voltage gain. A gain of 200db would be 10 billion; the 8 billion noted above is close enough.

To imagine a line stage with an output of 1v to drive many amps to serious levels, and do this with a phono/line gain of 200db would imply the phono cartridge has an output of less than a nanovolt. This is silly. And to achieve any kind of phono gain beyond 60 db or so with tubes and deal with the noise issue almost requires miracles....something the SP6 is not capable of, heavily modded or not.

And now back to the main program.

Jafox,

I know that (the EE in me figured it out as well) but was trying to be diplomatic. As you say, and now back to our regularly scheduled program;)..............

As Mechans said (tongue in cheek, I assume)

This kind of ultra low noise tube has yet to classified there are only few electron particle accelerators large enough toidetect(sic) the subtle vibrations that each tube naturally resonates at....It is also best siuted(sic) to nanovolt output cartridges the upside is that no a step up transformer is needed.

Pretty damn funny when you think of it, though

The whole post is written as hyperbole. The gain is ridiculous though for the MC circuit it really is in excess of 70. The line stage isn't exactly low key either. The phono on ther sp6B is legendary as one of the first that could really amplify that small an output signal It really It really is extraordinary but very few including myself can use IT well. My Dynevector puts out 2.0 millvolts the record must be cleaner than a clean room and each mote of dust sounds like a giant explosion. The complaints about the excessive gain are legendary themselves.

System synergy is a key issue in any system, much more with Atmasphere units. I have owned an MA1 and MA2 years ago - mk1 preamp and mk2 amps, not the current units. At that time I tried several preamps (cj ART2, ARC ref 2, ACT2) with the MA2, mainly because I wanted a remote, but never found a preamp which could be a better match to the MA2. Later I had to sell the Ma2 because I was offered a too good deal with an incompatible speaker and heat and space were a concern at that time.
Now I have a Dartzeel combo, and have tried several amps with the preamp, as I need more power for my preferred speakers (Soundlab A1 PXs), but for chamber music and jazz every time I prefer the Dartzeel preamp with its amplifier. The NH18NS is an excellent preamplifier, but the combo of both units used with the 50 ohm cables is the real deal!