Preamp... Solid State or Tube
I've never heard the Ayre pre you're considering, but I did own an Aesthetix Calypso for a while. You might want to look into Modwright preamps. They are spectacular and should do well with your power amp (and dac). While well below your stated budget, I picked up an SWL 9.0SE and was stunned by how good it was - I find it FAR superior to the Calypso. If you're planning on spending up to $10k, I would think looking at some of Dan's higher end pre's would be worthwhile. |
Definitely consider the ModWright LS36.5 DM. I have a recent LS36.5 and couldn't be happier. After some tube upgrades; Synergetic Black fuse, WyWires PC and Daedalus DiD's I'm not in such a hurry to send it in for the DM power supply upgrade. It's a great preamp. I moved from a SWL 9.0 SE and that is a fine preamp but it's not as refined as the 36.5... really not even close. Really enjoyed my 9.0; it had great PRAT. The 36.5 has the PRAT too but it is so much more open it doesn't stand out as much. I'll eventually send my 36.5 in to become a DM because I'm sure it is a nice improvement. Dan's a great guy to work with. |
The Modwright preamp should mate well with your Modwright amps, and they do have the required HT bypass option. I would lean towards the LS100 over the LS36.5 because I like the 6SN7 tube better than the 6H30, but obviously your tastes might vary. http://www.modwright.com/products/ls-100-tube-preamp.php I'd also recommend a VAC Renaissance Mk III as a second option. It also has the HT Bypass mode and sounds incredible. http://www.vac-amps.com/productPages/RenaissanceMk_III.html |
