Preamp Deal of the Century

Sorlowski,

The low gain position should be when the toggle switches are in the back position. High gain should be in the forward facing position.

Thank you for answer, I was asking in what position (high gain or low gain) Supratek is sounding softer ?
I have not noticed such difference so I'm curious.

My Syrah stopped working one day. Mick was amazingly patient and effective, proposing diagnostics (via e-mail), even sending photographs with little arrows pointing to specific junctions.

It turned out that the rectifier tube had shorted, buring out the toiroidal transformer (!). Very rare. But in this case, alas: very true.

Mick sent me a new one. Gratis. Refused my offers of reimbursement. (I ended up sending him several CDs of music I thought he'd like--although I'd have happily, had he permitted, recompensed him more.)

I used a knowledgeable local amp-builder and technician, Michael Franzen, to install the new transformer and do the troubleshooting, under Mick's remote supervision.

This story indeed has a happy ending: Mick stands behind his products as well as anyone I've ever dealt with, if not better.

Sorlowski,

I have found on my Cortese that the preamp has very little dynamics in the low gain position. The high gain position is much better for me. I also keep the gain knob on the back set to one step below full gain.

Mercedes: I have a Grange and have tried EH-300B; RCA 45; and TJ-300B meshplates. A friend has a Cabernet and has tried the PX4's. We both agree that the TJ-300B sounds best by a big margin! The most significant lift with the TJ is the treble response which becomes sugary sweet and extended. The TJ also sounds much more refined than the EH tube which sounds crude in comparison.

Mick has some Western Electric 300B's, so you should ask him via email if it is significantly better than the TJ meshplates ...

Regards,

Steve M.