2. amps-preamps
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tube preamp please, replacing counterpoint sa7

i just purchased a counterpoint sa7 tube preamp to replace my 6 year old nad 705. it is not living up to my expectations, the bass is extremely lacking, and with no tone controls i can't help it out (allthough i always left them flat on the nad with no trouble)- can anyone reccomend a decent tube pre in the 300-400 dollar range? phono preamp is a must- thats why i bought the counterpoint. i heard the phono preamp was spectacular, which it is, except for the weak and muddy bass. could the problem be solved with any mods or tube replacements?
bean151
j_k
234 posts
 
Both before and after the tube replacement, you may want to play with speaker placement and lister position (if you haven't already).
steuspeed's avatar
steuspeed
501 posts
 
Go for the best tubes you can buy from Andy. You won't be dissapointed. You might consider re-tubing your mono's next. Ask Andy for his advise. I got lower noise floor, holographic sound stage and improved bass extension right away. Everything improved from there over the next month until they were fully broke-in.
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 
You were happy with the NAD 705, which makes me think that going back to the NAD is the solution, but perhaps there is a low frequency roll-off with the Counterpoint preamp that can be resolved. 
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,671 posts
 
Hope after 15 years he solved the problem!
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