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Tube Preamps under $10k with deep bass extension

I'm still goofing around looking for a good tube preamp. I'd like to hear from those who have auditioned some tube preamps on systems capable of 20hz. I auditioned a hovland HP 100 that had fantastic midrange but seemed to be missing a little bit of the lower octave. I'm new to the tube preamp arena and am unaware of which ones can make 20hz and which cannot. I've had some good responses to previous posts which have got me interested in Supratek, McIntosh, and CAT preamps. I also noticed some tube ringing at higher levels. Is this something I should expect or not?
holzhauer
wellfed's avatar
wellfed
690 posts
 
The Atma-Sphere MP-1 Mk II will give you the low frequency performance you are looking for. Everything else is incredible as well.
rcprince
3,073 posts
 
Lamm's LL2, while perhaps just a little full in the mid-bass (not at all unpleasant, and you only really notice it compared to its bigger brother, the L2), has excellent low frequency extension and is a bargain in the used market. Get the Deluxe version, it's worth the extra scratch. I had this piece in my system for a couple of months while waiting for my own pre to be repaired and was shocked at how good it was, even in the deepest bass regions. And my top recommendation, the Lamm L2, is in the $7500 used range, simply one of the best preamps available today, although technically it's solid state in the signal path (the power supply has the tube).
esoxhntr
196 posts
 
Check out the Blue Circle BC9 or BC3000. Both are outstanding preamps with excellent bass extension.
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