Tube preamp options

@tomic601 

Thanks for your further thoughts. My Bardo is on an HRS isolation platform but I can't say I have a tremendous amount of isolation downstream. I have nothing on the tonearm which is a brinkmann 10.5 or cartridge which is a Mike Trei installed ortofon cadenza black. I got the unit from stereo exchange and Trei had set it up for them. On my phono pre which is a Rogers Hi Fi PA-2, I took off the stock feet and put some Herbie's audio lab tenderfeet. I also have some Herbie's super sonic stabilizers on top of it. Tube dampers on all the gain tubes. I have no isolation under the preamp. I did put some 3" granite slabs undery quatros at RVs suggestion. Maybe an HRS platform under each of the other components is a good next move. 

@soix my speakers are about 30"inches from the front wall. I spent a fair bit of time talking to John Rutan at Audio Connection about speaker placement. Like I said, my soundstage is wide and focused with nearly no toe in but very little depth.

@gdnrbob thanks for the thoughts. Going all Vandersteen might be the ticket. We'll see. I've looked at the Atma stuff and it's all balanced which is great but would mean I'd need a different phono stage and I really like mine. Haven't looked closely at Ayre but will check it out! 

OK as mot of you know we are manufacturers of tube audio products. Point-to-point wired using the best parts. Most of the suggestions above are safe choices but all have advantages and disadvantages meaning they are all built to a price point.. Depending on your price point We could send you something to hear or my recommendation would be to buy a used Counterpoint SA-3000 and send it to us for a complete upgrade. We just finished one and it was really killer. Customer transformer, audio note resistors and capacitors, nichicon capacitors, V-Caps, etc. This is as close as you will get to reference sound without spending that much.

We have a listening room in Northern New Jersey with Sonus Faber, Vivid, Horning, Vandersteen Sevens and 5As so we can to hear many options and how they interact. We also repair and modify components so we get to hear more gear than most of you have ever heard in a your system in 20-30 years.

Plus we can build you a preamp to what ever tube or specifications you prefer.

Happy Listening,

As usual, @tomic601 , gives sound advice, and +1 on joining the Vandy forum.

+1 and nice pun on “sound advice” Bob… that is a good job on a Sunday.

The local book shop sells LPs as well as books and cards. Yesterday (Saturday) on the TT was “Best of the Smiths” playing. And the Australian Author Di Morrissey’s new book “The High Tide” was on display.

I picked up the book, and asked is this the Morrissey that is playing on the TT?
The shop attendant started out saying, “No it is the Smiths”, and then paused… and said, “we need to close soon.”
The Mrs bought a couple of things.

I've looked at the Atma stuff and it's all balanced which is great but would mean I'd need a different phono stage and I really like mine.

I am not sure that is 100% a certainly… The cartridge can feed out as balanced or wired to be single ended.
I am pretty sure that it is possible to bring in the RCA into a balanced preamp with a custom made cable. (I have done it.)

Sonically it did not seem to be vastly different.

It is probably a good time to get @atmasphere to opine on the phono and preamp…

I have the Woo Audio WA33. Great sounding for me. Don't overlook good room acoustics to improve your sound. I put $3500 of sound treatment into mine.

@soix my speakers are about 30"inches from the front wall. I spent a fair bit of time talking to John Rutan at Audio Connection about speaker placement. Like I said, my soundstage is wide and focused with nearly no toe in but very little depth

Is that 30” from the front of the speakers or the back?  My suggestion would be to try pulling the front of the speakers out at least 48” from the wall and see what happens.   My guess is you’ll hear much better depth and an overall improvement, and then keep experimenting from there.  The fronts of my speakers are about 6’ from the wall, just for reference.  There’s nothing about your system I can see that should limit depth other than speaker placement, FWIW.