Interesting Charles. Are you at all familiar with the Hovland HP200, my current pre? I think it does tick the right boxes, providing a good balance btwn natural tone/warmth, and so called transparency/accuracy.
My move to SETs has been really instructive, and the synergy btwn tonally full Audion Black Shadows and my full range driver/xoverless Zu Definitions 4 which major on density of tone has been fantastic. Feel I'm getting warmth AND transparency. Enhanced by a stabilising in the soundstage via Entreq grounding, and an opening of the whole bass foundation of the music with Westwick 8kVA balanced power.
I was actually not looking at changing pre amp since nothing interesting has entered my view, but was intrigued to read about the Wyetech Ruby Std, and it's fans' view that it has the perfect balance of tonal virtues with no so called transparency deficit.
I don't want to return to the days a few years ago where the choice was between warm, fat and congested (BAT phono amp that I bought) to counterbalance my Lyra Skala cart (neutral, thin and screechy). This is my fear in the warm v transparent argument, even though in most cases since, I seem to have a good balance.
My move to SETs has been really instructive, and the synergy btwn tonally full Audion Black Shadows and my full range driver/xoverless Zu Definitions 4 which major on density of tone has been fantastic. Feel I'm getting warmth AND transparency. Enhanced by a stabilising in the soundstage via Entreq grounding, and an opening of the whole bass foundation of the music with Westwick 8kVA balanced power.
I was actually not looking at changing pre amp since nothing interesting has entered my view, but was intrigued to read about the Wyetech Ruby Std, and it's fans' view that it has the perfect balance of tonal virtues with no so called transparency deficit.
I don't want to return to the days a few years ago where the choice was between warm, fat and congested (BAT phono amp that I bought) to counterbalance my Lyra Skala cart (neutral, thin and screechy). This is my fear in the warm v transparent argument, even though in most cases since, I seem to have a good balance.