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Preamp Quandary - sonics vs. ergonomics??

I have been auditioning (buying and selling) preamps for over a year now. My only absolute criteria is that the preamp must be a fully balanced design that has low enough output impedance to effectively drive my McCormack DNA 500 amp (10K input impedance). However, since my system is in the living room, there are some ergonomic considerations including the potential for other users. After trying several, I currently have two pretty good but different preamps, an Atma-Sphere MP3 that is maxed out with teflon caps, regulated power upgrade, caddock resistor package, and user-applied 3M constrained layer damping sheets. It also has Jensen transformers for phono that I do not use. My other preamp is an Ayre K-5xe which is an outstanding ergonomic match with my CX-7e source. The comparisons are;

Ayre K-5xe - very user friendly, stays on all the time, uses the same remote as my CX-7e source, no heat issues, dead quiet, smooth sounding with tight punchy bass and adequate decay for a SS unit, no turn-on/off issues, heat, DC worries or other tube related concerns. In other words a competant performer which is the perfect operational match for my situation.

Atma-Sphere MP3; deep bass, dynamics that you can feel in your chest, well-extended for a tube unit and has that "rightness" only tubes seem to be able to provide, outstanding 3-dimensionality, and an outstanding midrange that puts the performers in the room with you. In short, this is the best sounding preamp I have heard in my system, but not the easiest to use.

Have any of you made a similar choice, and did you have any regrets?
mitch2
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jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Yes, quite a few times. Yes, there have been regrets. I sometimes wonder why I paint myself into a corner with 'requirements' like must be fully balanced, must have remote, must have such amount of gain and such amout of input/output impedence. I've also flip/flopped back and forth on the tube issue. When I have a tube unit, I long for the power and dependibility of SS. When I have a SS unit, I miss the liquidity and 'realness' of tubes.
Currently I'm looking to head back into tubesville. It's been long enough that I've almost forgotten about the maintenance issues, and believe me IME, tube units require a much higher maintenance cost than SS. In other words, I like the tubes but they don't like me. :)

BTW, is one of the reasons you say the Atmasphere is not the easiet to use because it has no remote? I was considering this preamp, but honestly, I'm not sure if I could live w/o a remote anymore. Sad isn't it? I never had a remote until the year 2000. I was in this hobby for 25 years with no remote, and now I don't think I could live w/o it. Maybe for a month or two, but that's all.
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cmo
471 posts
 
How about trying one of the more full function tube units out now? I just heard the ARC ref3 in my system and thought it souned very good. At the same time we had a BAT 52se for comparison, and it sounded wonderful too. Both of these things will basically do everything but make your coffee (I actually hear that ARC is comming out with their Mk pi-to the 3rd update that will take care of that issue though ;^)). The super tube 6H30 is supposed to last 10,000 hours or so... Tube maintenence shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Seems like the only thing you would be missing is the remote compatability with the Ayre CD player..... Then again you could always upgrade that too!

Chris
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