What's after Supratek

Dennis, Rcprince is right I would strongly urge the H-Cat. But there is no remote. I have only had two good ss preamps among my many preamps, they are the TAG and the H-Cat or actually four H-Cats each getting progressively better. I do not think the H-Cat sounds at all like a ss preamp, nor does it sound like the best tube preamp I have heard, the Exemplar, but the H-Cat is just in a class by itself in terms of its lack of coloration and grain as well as the realism that it allows.

I have only once had a remote, the Millennium preamp from Siltech. The guy I sold it to has taken the remote out and replaced it with a stepped attenuator, reporting a great improvement. Come on, you need the exercise.

Have you considered Ultratek? Check out the "Ne Plus" model. Same "Supra" circuit but handwired by Laplanders exploiting their environmental cryogenic advantage over the hapless Aussie. The H-Cat would have to drop some serious Kelvins before I'd consider that puppy "solid state".

Ha, Ha! Rankins also.

Instead of a VAC Renaissance pre as an upgrade to my Supratek Syrah, how about a Supratek Cortese with a Welborne remote attenuator

Ron says it will sound at least as nice as a DACT, and it has only one resistor in the signal path (your choice of resistor brand).

Hi Dennis The Menace. Ecclectique here... I wasn't aware of the welbourne remote attenuators and am very intrigued with them[thanks for the heads up here]. If you decide on using one I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. I have both the syrah and the cortese in seperate systems. By looking at the pictures of the remote attenuators at the website, they look a little large to be used inside the supratek chassis.I suppose they could be wired externally though. I am a vinyl junkie and both my systems have been voiced strictly for vinyl playback. My syrah has the remote whereby my cortese does not. Considering I adjust the gain with every record I change, I thought I would forgo the remote with the cortese but miss the convenience of adjusting the gain at my listening seat. Hoping to get some feedback here from anyone with hands on experience with the welbourne attenuators.cheers David