Preamp Deal of the Century


If anyone is looking for a true "World Class" preamp at a very fair price..heed my advice. I just recieved a Supratek Syrah preamp that was hand built by Mick Maloney in Western Australia, and it is absolutely beautiful! This preamp is the best deal you will ever find. I would put it up against any preamp out there for both looks and sound. Price? $2500 for the Syrah (includes Killer Phono stage). Not into phono? Try the Chardonney line stage for $2100. Don't get me wrong, I am not associated with this company. I am just a very happy owner! This preamp is VERY dynamic, yet liquid. It conveys the sound of music better than any other preamp that I have ever heard! You can check out the Supratek website at www. cantech.net.au
slowhand
Hello Houstonreef. Congrats on your new found supratek. The linestage tubes will be the first pair of the larger [octal based] tubes behind the smaller phono tubes. The original line stage tubes supplied with the Syrah were the Sovtek 6sn7's. What type of 6sn7 tube was the previous owner using? Most any other nos 6sn7 should be a major improvement over the Sovtek's. The newer suprateks are delivered with the Electro harmonics 6sn7, certainly far better sounding tube than the sovtek's however still not in the same league as some of the better nos 6sn7's. Your welcome to my pair of EH 6sn7's and/or the sovtek 6sn7's for the cost of the postage. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.
Hello Ecclectique, thanks for sharing your vast experience and knowledge. During the last week I have read and saved many of your postings in this fine thread! Would you please let me know (according to your experience) if the plastic based, round plate Sylvania 6F6GTs will perform and sound as good as a good pair of NOS 6F6Gs on the Syrah?
Thanks so much and happy holidays,
frankiealverti
Thanks for all your advice, and especially Ecclectique(i will get back with you on your offer). The reason is that someone in this thread prefers to use the stock tubes instead.

Happy Holidays
Hello Frankiealverti. Certainly, the nos sylvania 6F6gt will perform as well or better than any other 6f6 type for regulation duty in the Supratek's providing they test strong and are closely matched for gm. I am still using a pr of them in my Syrah. The regulator tubes can have an influence in the sound of the supratek's however, the difference's are rather subtle here.They are used in conjuction with the rectifier to smooth out the residual ripple of the rectifier in the power supply . Far greater rewards are gained by changing out the stock rectifier first for a strong testing nos gz34/5ar4 before even thinking about rolling out the regulator tubes. Without rolling out the stock rectifier first....changing the stock regulators for something else would just be an exercise. By the way: When I first recommended the 6F6g for regulation duty way way back near the beginning of this thread, it was more to inform people that the 6F6G [shoulder shaped glass types only] was a low cost alternative to the stock Sovtek 6L6/5881 that Mick was supplying at the time.Most Nos tubes in the 6L6 family are rather pricey to say the least and some in that family are hideously expensive [the genelex kt66, Western Electric 350's for example]. At the time, I was using a pair of Western Electric 350b's only because I had a few pairs laying around in my stash. I could not and would not recommend them in good conscience, the cost for a pair of them is far better invested in music or elsewhere in your rig. The high cost of nos 6L6 types are due to the demand by the Guitar amp crowd. There are a whole host of nos tubes that will work for regulation duty, many are less expensive to acquire than the new issue tubes in the 6L6 family.
Here are the tubes on my Syrah:
6SN7 Gtb ge
6GK5 gt pro/comm
6bg6 philips

What is your opinions on these tubes?
Thanks.