Preamp Deal of the Century

Same here. Got an email this morning. I guess Mick finished up several of these about the same time. I look forward to the various reports that I am sure will be forthcoming. Time to start tube shopping for those Ken Rad black glass, huh?

Hi, I felt a bit uneasy that I received my Syrah before you guys. I guess my unit being 230V may have helped to reduce the lead production time (Australia is also on 230V).

I was skeptical of what had been said about this pre but now I can confirm what was said is accurate. It is an experience having this preamp in the system and it is difficult to reconcile the price/ performance ratio of this product to others.

My main reason of this post is to remind new owners that when you receive your unit, do thoroughly go through and understand Mick's 3 page instructions before you plug it in. He expects we are all experienced and responsible triode amp users and unlike the more established corporations, his documentation may be considered brief.

The sound of the pre changes at every session as it continues to improve by the burn in. Experiment with the different gains settings. There are a few combinations. I am currently setting the internal pair of switches on low and the switch at the back highest. The various combinations do sound different.

Experiment also with the different phono loadings, I was surprised the loading that works best for me is not the usual loading of my previous pres. When I mentioned this to Mick's S E Asia distributor this was the reply from Mick:
“The phono, like all my products is a little unconventional and will react differently than other pres- I'm glad he found the sweet spot. Once he gets used to the possibilities of the Syrah, he may find more surprises.”

What had been said on tubes in previous posts are excellent advice.

Thanks again for sharing the discovery of this preamp.

Happy listening,

Wsin: while we wait for the other guys to get their units, have your impressions remained consistent? Any changes? Any problems?

Fiddler did you get your PreAmp???

Hi. I'm also waiting for my preamp (since 4/25). Hopefully will be here soon. In the interim, I'll likely shop a bit for tube upgrades. I've heard mention of a few 6SN7 options including Ken Rad Black Glass and JAN and Sylvania VT-231s. I'm wondering would options like RCA Red Base 6SN7 or Mullard EC32s (or EC34s) be better options? Does anyone have experience trying these with the Supratek preamps, or are the previously mentioned options better. I had purchased a pair of RCA Red Base 6SN7s for my Blue Circle BC2 monos on recommendations I found elsewhere and the improvement was shocking (over regular Sylvania 6SN7). Just wondering whether the two options above have been tried or considered by other folks for use with the Supratek. Cheers.