Thinking about replacing my PS Audio BHK Signature preamp and I'm looking at 2 units, the Supratek Cabernet 6SN7 and the Linear Tube Audio Microzotl preamp. Has anyone had a chance to listen to either of the two preamps? Thank you.
Scot
Scot
Supratek Owners Thread
Greetings All -
It appears that the 26-million-plus view, multi-decade "Preamp Deal of the Century" Supratek thread has been removed. I'm not sure why, but suppose there must be a reasonable explanation.
In any case, on that thread I recently asked whether there might be interest in a "Supratek owners thread" and received some interest.
The purpose of this thread is for Supratek owners to share the details of their system, ask questions, share information about any tube-rolling they have done, and so forth.
I'll kick us off here with a few details about my system -
ancient Linn LP12 with Ittok arm, Dynavector 17D3 cartridge into Cortese LCR phono stage
Power amp is a fully serviced Innersound Electrostatic amplifier
Quad ESL63 speakers (not USA monitors) or JBL 4430 studio monitors
Digital sources are immature and evolving - ancient Fostex CR300 cd player/burner
DacMagic 100 DAC
Nordost Blue Heaven 75ohm interconnect
Due to the fairly long lengths of speaker wire required in the new listening room, speaker wire is Belden 12 gauge wire designed for low-voltage outdoor lighting systems.
Next steps - dedicated circuit, new power cords, new interconnects, new wires.
It appears that the 26-million-plus view, multi-decade "Preamp Deal of the Century" Supratek thread has been removed. I'm not sure why, but suppose there must be a reasonable explanation.
In any case, on that thread I recently asked whether there might be interest in a "Supratek owners thread" and received some interest.
The purpose of this thread is for Supratek owners to share the details of their system, ask questions, share information about any tube-rolling they have done, and so forth.
I'll kick us off here with a few details about my system -
ancient Linn LP12 with Ittok arm, Dynavector 17D3 cartridge into Cortese LCR phono stage
Power amp is a fully serviced Innersound Electrostatic amplifier
Quad ESL63 speakers (not USA monitors) or JBL 4430 studio monitors
Digital sources are immature and evolving - ancient Fostex CR300 cd player/burner
DacMagic 100 DAC
Nordost Blue Heaven 75ohm interconnect
Due to the fairly long lengths of speaker wire required in the new listening room, speaker wire is Belden 12 gauge wire designed for low-voltage outdoor lighting systems.
Next steps - dedicated circuit, new power cords, new interconnects, new wires.
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- 510 posts total
I have a a Chardonnay on order, but have not heard either company’s gear. What I do know is what others have said: 1) Supratek is tonally on the warm side, Microzotl is definitely “neutral” (I’ll look up the forum link later); and 2) Someone with a BHK recently bought a current Cabernet used and ended up selling it in short order, saying privately to me that the BHK had better dynamics in his system. I think that Cabernet was the standard, not the dual. What I don’t know (or recall) is to what degree he had rolled tubes on either, which could have affected his results. |
The thread was at head-fi and the response I got about where the LTA Microzotl preamps stand on a cool-to-warm continuum were either clearly "neutral" or hard to decipher (pg 7-8): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/microzotl-3-by-linear-tube-audio-true-high-end-audio.895908/page-7 Here’s the message I got re the Cabernet, and it was a dual: "I did like it quite a lot but have returned to my PS Audio BHK Reference. Both are really good but the BHK has better dynamics and immediacy... in my system." |
Here's my two cents from owning the Chardonnay for a little over a month and the BHK for over two years plus having several friends that have owned the Micro-Zotl preamps. First from every report I have heard from owners I know the LTA is on the cooler side of neutral. In my system using the BHK amp the Chardonnay has easily beaten the BHK preamp in terms of tone and sound staging from the time it came out of the box. If someone is having a problem with the Supratek preamps in terms of "drive" then they need to check the rake angle on their speakers and turn the gain on the preamp up. My BHK preamp is going up for sale as no matter how good it is it can't keep up with the Chardonnay and I can only imagine what the Cabernet would bring to the table. |
- 510 posts total