First tube preamp recommendations (under $5k)

ARC equipment is very accurate with an excellent midrange through bass (think non-colored warmth), but is not artificially warm. So it will sound detailed but not hard and cold. It also has outstanding rhythm and pace… musicalness. Rythm and pace is hard to put your finger on, but can be one of the most important attributes of a system… making you unconsciously tap your foot. It is what conveys the emotional content. ARC / tube equipment generally do a better job of this than most solid state equipment.

It couples exceptionally well with a Pass 350… which I used for well over a decade. If the ARC preamp doesn’t have quiet enough warmth for you, then make your next swap the Pass for an ARC amp… the more ARC the more better… when the whole chain is ARC it is incredibly magical.

I am using the PrimaLuna EVO 100 Preamp. $2199. My amplifiers are solid state so the 8 tubes that the Primaluna provides gives me the fuller sound that solid state pre-amps cannot create - at least at this price point. I will admit that the first 50 hours or so were a bit dull and "veiled". It simply took a fair amount of time for the preamp to open up.  

I debated between the PrimaLuna and the Rogue RP-7, but felt the RP-7 may not give me enough of the tube experience as it only uses 2 tubes. The remote control is excellent but the RP-7 provides a number (ie gauge) to your volume and the PrimaLuna does not. I downloaded a free decibel meter to my phone and that solved the issue. I now know when the volume knob is above a certain point it is probably too loud. 

Another reason I like it beside the sound is that the PrimaLuna does not get hot and only gets "warm at best". Even after 5 or 6 hours of play. Both my solid state amps stay fairly cool as well so it fits right in with my prerequisite of not heating up my room as I listen.

@ghdprentice could not agree more on the priority system, Dogs first !

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7106#&gid=1&pid=11

@tomic601
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Sweet doggy. We had a pair of black labs a long time ago… loved them very much. You have a house full of beautiful systems as well. I had Apogee’s for many years.