Advice on pre-amps needed

thanks so far for yur input. I´m not sure if I´m really a tube lover. Currently I run my Audio Aero Capitole MK II directly into my Ayre V-5X evolution power amp - and to be honest - my Rowland Concentra II + Accuphase DP-67 combo was much better. Don´t know if the AA and the Ayre are getting better by the time (they are just two days old) but right out of the box I don´t like what I hear..

Frankpiet,

As both your pieces of equipment are brand new, I highly suggest that you pick a full range, dynamic, piece of music and run it 24/7 for the next week or so, in order to break in both pieces of equipment properly. (It will probably take a minimum of a hundred hours or so to get the break in process well under way. It could take a few hundred to actually fully break in your equipment.)

Personally, I am like you. I like having a preamp in my system, as I find it helps flesh out the sound. However, some people prefer to keep as much equipment out of the signal path as possible. (Six of one, half a dozen of the other!)

(Just be glad you don't have a phono cartridge to break in too! (Or at least not yet anyway!) My Koetsu cart's took a couple of hundred hours to fully break in. Luckily, they sould good right from the start, and end up sounding great!)

Good Luck!

Kurt, fortunately my Lyra cartridge is already fully broken in. But as I currently have no preamp, my turntable (a beautiful Transrotor) just shines in beautiful chrome from my rack. As you use Koetsu I assume that you use an Audiocraft AC 4400 tonearm?

Best regards, Frank

Have you looked at the Tron Syren (www.tron-electric.com)? This is a cost no object tube preamp with user adjustable phono stage. It is essentially a bespoke build to order preamp from one of hi-fi's unsung tube gurus, Graham Tricker in the UK. It has had rave reviews in 6 moons. I have the Tron's predecessor, the Tron Meteor, which is sounds stunning. This is used predominantly as a phono preamp with my platine Verdier/Schroeder Model 2/Allaerts MC1B. The US distributor is Highwater Sound in NJ.

If you email Graham (sales@gtaudio.com), he can build you one to your spec ie for your cartridge, with optional extras if you wish.

Topox.. no, I´haven´t so far as this will be beyond my financial boundaries (I suppose).