Preamp Deal of the Century

Could it be that Marill555 and I are the only Supratek owners facing the glare issue ? Probably not. Maybe it's all like the kind of experience I had a number of years back, when I owned Apogee Diva speakers. While they did things (in a positive sense) that I had never heard before from any other speaker, they had---you guessed it--an annoying upper midrange glare, no matter what I changed, component wise, around them. When I mentioned this to Apogee's creator, Jason Bloom, he denied there was any glare, and virtually said I was nuts. Undaunted, I wrote a letter to the editors at Stereophile, asking the same question, while acknowledging Jason Bloom's denial. The answer that appeared in print affirmed my impression. Maybe some hear the glare in their preamp, and maybe some do not. Frankly, I'm somewhat in agreement with Stiltskin's remarks about tube rolling and its costliness, and I'm ready to try some other non-tube possible solutions. At the same time, based on what I've heard using the stock complement of tubes (for 200 hours) that the Cortese came with, I cannot agree with the assertions of some other Cortese owners on Audiogon who claim that the stock tubes in the preamp offer the best sound. Again, it's possible that either they don't have, hear or recognize the glare that, at least, Marill555 and I are hearing. I still feel the Cortese is a superb unit, and will continue my search for that more unforced kind of sound Marill555 refers to. I welcome any other observations and comments from others who may be experiencing the same issue, and who may have found a positive way or ways to deal with it. Of course, there's also the possibility of bringing this up with Mick, but at this time, I'd rather try to deal with this matter on my own and not bug him. I have the feeling he's had his hands more than full with Supratek owners and would be owners.

Opus88, I have been awaiting for the Cortese line stage to arrive (the Sauv.) and I have been following this thread and this concerns me. Is this only when you use the phono or both including line for cd?

I currently have a Audio Research Ref3, spoke to a few people including Mick and they say this Sauv. I ordered is quantum leaps ahead of my ARC piece. I referred to Mick and others saying "this is a bold statement to make" so I ordered one to find out for my self to see if it's factual or just hype.

I'm hoping it's factual because I really like the look and a bonus would to be able to have two, one for upstairs and one for down stairs and still have extra coin left over.

If I was you I would contact Mick with your issues to see if it can be resolved otherwise sell it and get a pre the doesn't do that, I would.

I bought a bunch of Bel Canto gear recently because I wanted to find out for myself if all the talk about Ice amps etc. was all that or just hype. The reviews that I read, please. The product is okay for what it is but not even close to what the reviewers wrote, I just recently sold all of it.

Opus88,
I think you're right saying, that some Supratek owners do not hear that glare, or their system's specifics would make it less noticeable (like for instance pairing Supratek with "old school" CJ power amp).
I do believe many people are just not sensitive to this particular issue, and there are some, who are not willing (consciously or unconsciously) to admit to it.
I did bring it up with Mick and Kevin Kovi for that matter.
I feel I annoyed the living hell out of both of them, but at the same time, I have to admit, that Mick was extra patient and understanding.
The bottom line, though, was - "Supratek is just showing you how your system actually sounds like, and if there are any objectionable issues- they should be attributed to other parts of the system chain, room included".
Also Mick mentioned to me, that Supratek measures ruler flat into any load presented by power amp, and I do tend to trust him on that one.
On the other hand, I don't think everything we hear is measurable, and certainly not in the context of the whole system and acoustic environment of the room.
While waiting for my Cortese and Mondeuse amps, I redesigned my dedicated basement with the help of very knowledgeable people of GIK Acoustics ( and using their acoustic panels}, completely changed the support system for my speakers, including switching Mapleshade cones to Herbie's accessories and removing lead shot from Von Schweikert speakers in favor of sand ( as a side note, Steve Herbelin, a propriator of Herbie's Audio Labs suggested, that lead, having it's own resonance frequency, can introduce an unwanted colorations to the speakers sound. A call to VonSchweikert Audio confirmed that- they are using 12.5 lbs of sand in each VR-4JR at the factory, as opposed to their manual advising 20-40 lbs. of lead shot in each).
I'm hoping that all these changes I introduced to my room and system will help to ameliorate the above midrange glare.
Temporary system, I'm using now (NuForce AVP-16 pre-pro and Butler power amp.) is completely devoid of the glare.
Again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but if the issue will reappear again, it would be a major frustration, and financial loss.

Maril555...Yes, the argument that "other" factors are at work is the standard one. Sometimes, that assertion is accurate, sometimes it isn't. I do feel pretty confident though that Mick is correct here, and I too trust his judgment. I will continue to do my best in an effort to neutralize the bugaboo. My experiences with Mick have also been very positive. I've e-mailed him a number of times with various kinds of questions. He has always impressed me as having been forthright and concerned to help with any matters that have arisen. Incidentally, I too have a dedicated listening room. I always wanted one, and my wife was very supportive. Upon retirement, I had one built onto the house we purchased when we moved. I've fashioned my own acoustic materials, and they seem to work as well as those I fashioned some years back in my single days. Well, anyhow, here's to good listening. My fingers are crossed too.

I have never experienced any glare from my system when using the Syrah that I previously owned or from the Cortese that I now own. I am using a Berning ZH270 amp which is very revealing of any problems in the system. Everything sounds fantastic to my ears. As I have said before, tube rolling is a wast of time and money for me in my current system. I have not found any benefit from using NOS tubes in my Cortese. The biggest improvement that I have made to the sound of the Cortese has come from buying SRA iso bases for the Cortese and for it's power supply. I feel these are the best isolation bases you can get at any price and they have taken my system to new levels that I never dreamed of. This is the best $1200 I ever spent on my system. I will say that when I owned my Syrah I did feel that I benefited from NOS tubes, but I don't feel they are needed for great sound from the Cortese.