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Esoteric C03 preamp or Mark Levinson 326S preamp- ANY and ALL FEEDBACK / HELP PLEASE

Esoteric C03 preamp or Mark Levinson 326S preamp 

ANY FEEDBACK - THOUGHTS - IDEAS would be so appreciated.

I am in the middle of total system re-fit and have made many changes - I am sure too many but I am quite happy now and now have my preamp choice down to these 2-preamps.

Can you guys provide any feedback about either of these. I like to hear from you guys. I read all the reviews on both and those are all well and good but I always get the real ho-down low-down from you guys - good or bad.

                                                ** Back Ground info**

** Room is 
14 x 24 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 16 Foot a peak

** Music likes:
Assorted Music no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else.

** Likes / Priority: 
Transparency - Delicate - Linear - High resolution - microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk the line as close as I can - real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - extended and to remove as many layers without being clinical - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency but needs to be musical. 

** Perspetive
Just had a BAT VK32SE brand new tubes / certified pre-owned, mint same as new preamp. Wrong match. Just looking to go total other way. Not what I am looking for.

** More Perspective - I have been running my Bricasti Direct M1SE to my Pass Labs X350.5 amps and really starting to love it. I want to expand on this sound a bit. Little more depth, width of stage, bass, dynamics but don't want to add veils or give up a lot in transparency - I know I will give up some vs direct in doing so. That is why I am looking for the very best SS preamp I can get in my range and have come up with these two choices and wanted to know your thoughts. 

System: 
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5160

Magico S5 Loud Speakers

Bricasti M1 Special Edition DSD DAC 

Pass Labs X350.5 Balanced Stereo Amplifier 

PS Audio P10 Power Plant Regenerator 

Kubala-Sosna Emotion 2.5M Speaker Cables 

Assorted IC's Balanced and Single ended.

Digital PC based front end that I have been tweaking and evolving:

Transport: microRendu 1.4 and Full Suite of UpTone Audio Premium Power Supplies (2)x LPS-1 and (1) JS2 LPS - (2) Regens - the new ISO and an Amber and all powered with premium/custom Canare / Oyide DC cables for all power supplies plus the great Tellurium Q Black Diamond Reference USB cable and a Curious Regen Link USB Cable.   

Really appreciate any help you can provide on these 2-preamps. If you would like more info please let me know - all comments and feedback are most welcome and deeply appreciated :)


Thanks guys/gals 

Fsmithjack 



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68pete
994 posts
 
fsmithjack
The Mark Levinson 326s is a good pre amp. You will enjoy it.  Report back lets us know.
enjoy Pete
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I used to do a LOT of this back in the glory days of Audiogon (pre-2008).
I dubbed it the Audiogon "Buy 'N Try" methodology. Nothing like listening in your own system with your own gear to try stuff out.
I even recall one time, in around 2005-2006, when I had 4 quality preamps in my house for a three month demo (Krell, ML, CJ, BAT).
I bought them all on Audiogon, listened to them all, kept the one that I liked, and sold the other 3.

Those days are long gone for me now. This is such a buyers market the last 3 years or so, that selling is no fun anymore. 
What keeps me from rotating gear anymore is the dreadful thought of having to sell something. I HATE selling in this market.

So, due to the current state of the audio market, I don't experiment much anymore. 2000-2008 Audiogon was like the Wild, Wild, West!!! ;^)
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hk_fan
445 posts
 
I thought it was a local deal.  Sorry!  Let us know when you receive it.

jmcgrogan2, I agree.  It use to be easy to swap gear in and out and not take too much of a loss.  Those days are gone unfortunately.
pani
1,217 posts
 
@hk_fan, if you have not yet bought your preamp then I strongly recommend you check out the Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL 2.0 preamp with its linear PSU module. It is a David Berning design. I sold my $18k preamp after I tried it. There are many many stories where the likes of ARC reference preamps have been replaced with it. To my ears it is the most neutral preamp which doesn't give up anything but just adds the dynamic drive and wee bit of warmth. It is an OTL preamp so there is no coloration even though it has tubes inside. Read about it, you will get an idea.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,753 posts
 
It is an OTL preamp so there is no coloration even though it has tubes inside. Read about it, you will get an idea.
Actually most tube preamps are OTL. Ironically, this one is not. An output transformer is employed as well as a solid state circuit in tandem for conversion from the high output impedance of the final tube to the much lower output impedance of the amp.

This says nothing about its sound though- it is a brilliant design (and patented, it is from the patent that the above information comes).
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