Congratulations! I also considered going from the Chardonnay to a line stage "Grange," or the "all out" version he was starting to build as he had time. When I asked about it Mick wrote, "The “all out” version is the 6J5 line stage which I use in the Grange Signature . But you can only use 6J5 tubes, not 6Sn7." Since I didn’t want to start again with tube buying, I decided to go with the 6SN7 Cabernet (it uses the same cabinet as the Chardonnay). It’s currently on the way, still waiting for a plane out of Perth (suggest never using postal express to/from Australia, although much less $$ than DHL/UPS).
Preamp Deal of the Century
If anyone is looking for a true "World Class" preamp at a very fair price..heed my advice. I just recieved a Supratek Syrah preamp that was hand built by Mick Maloney in Western Australia, and it is absolutely beautiful! This preamp is the best deal you will ever find. I would put it up against any preamp out there for both looks and sound. Price? $2500 for the Syrah (includes Killer Phono stage). Not into phono? Try the Chardonney line stage for $2100. Don't get me wrong, I am not associated with this company. I am just a very happy owner! This preamp is VERY dynamic, yet liquid. It conveys the sound of music better than any other preamp that I have ever heard! You can check out the Supratek website at www. cantech.net.au
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The EML's are my favorites tubes, on that preamp the EML 45 specifically, the 300B's for my taste is too much but it could be a personal preference. I haven't tried the TA's though or the Elrog's Just be careful with the mesh I read and heard from so many sources that mesh plates pose more problems than standard solid plates Congrats
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@highstream I did not order the Grange Signature LS since I also did not want to deal with a new type of driver tube (have many 6SN7s). I ordered the ’regular’ Grange LS which is really a ’dual’, allowing to use the 300B or 6SN7 circuits. I asked Mick if both can be made with balanced outputs, but he did not commit. Let’s see.... However, if one is balanced (the 300B/45 circuit) and the 6SN7 only has singled ended outputs, it makes switching back and forth a bit more work. I will be happy either way, but the ability to use the same cable would be awesome. |
Let us know how it works out. I didn’t want a dual, primarily to keep things simple. As I read the discussion on his site, Mick thinks a 6SN7 preamp provides the best sound, so whether it’s with Cab or Grange circuitry, I think we’ll do well. Be interested to hear about the comparison with the 300B. |
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