Prima Luna Premium Pre or Conrad Johnson ET3 SE

What amp and speakers are you using?

Prima Luna is very nice for the money but I doubt it will better your ET3SE. I have a c-j Classic 2 SE and it sounds incredible driving my Quicksilver amps. Your pre is a Class A component, made in USA, premium parts and build quality, which will be evident when you go to replace the tube. My Classic proved to me that the preamp is the most important electronic component in a system. It blows away my last couple of preaamps , all of which were decent but the c-j was my most pronounced upgrade to date. If you want to "upgrade" change out that 6922EH tube with a Russian 6h23p-eb type 3 from Upscale. I had noise issues with a couple of the stock tubes, replaced with 6h23 and not only is it dead quiet but it sounds much better. That tube is super durable, I use them as drivers in my amps and they seem to last forever

My amps are Cary MB 500 Mono Blocks.

Speakers, Sonus Faber - Elipsa SE.

I am looking for a quiet, good sounding, long lasting tube.

PKelly-

I have heard both items side by side in the same system, same audition. The Prima Luna was a complete system (cd player, pre, power amp) and the CJ ET3 SE was mated w/ the Classic power amp. Speakers were B&W 802. Cables/cords were Audioquest. While the PL gear was not bad at all considering it had its own cd player, to my ears, the CJ was a nice step up in terms of sound quality. Keep me posted & Happy listening!

The 6H23-EB is the only tube that will hold up in the CJ Classic 2SE, ET3SE and ET5 enough that I will warranty them for 90 days. And that tube is increasingly hard to get. Just a heads up. I would buy some back ups.

I have over ten thousand new old stock 6922's in stock, but only 50 of those 6H23-EB. How many owners of those preamps will be seeking them out?

The idea of 22, 25, or 27dB of gain means one thing: Problems. Do you know that preamps are usually REDUCING gain by 6dB in normal use? Now add 6dB to 22dB and you've got to 28dB of un-needed un-wanted amplification. Talk to any electrical engineer, and they will explain I know from where I speak.

So tubes that are good will go noisy or microphonic like yours did. Over and over and over.

As to comparing it to the PrimaLuna I already answered that question on another thread. Most preamps sound good. It isn't tough. There's no new designs. But the PrimaLuna at $2199 has so much more than the ET3SE. The $3199 model is another matter altogether.

I know....I'm biased...say what you want. I speak the absolute truth, with quite a bit of authority.

Look at this picture.

http://www.spearitsound.com/img-classic2seinnard.jpg

Tell me what you see.