Stay away from those high priced boutique brands . I always took the Prima Luma pill. That guy Kevin is heck of salesman . It has to been a reason why so many of the are on the pre owned market .
Help With New Preamp Decision
Like most of us, I am constantly in the process of slowly (as funds allow) upgrading my system to what most would consider "mid fi" or low end "hi fi". I have been reading a lot lately on the subject of SQ upgrades, and what comes up frequently is that the preamplifier might be the foundation of moving to the next level as I upgrade.
True or not, that is the direction I have decided to go....my virtual system is listed. And yes I know I need to upgrade other components as well, so I'd like to keep this on the idea of a preamp.
In doing a LOT of research, I've come across several preamps that I am most interested in and would appreciate some ideas/thoughts/input/recommendations. I want fully balanced XLR with RCA inputs and outputs, be tube based, and I have no need or desire for a phone input. Max budget is $6,000.....or just a few shekels more.
(1) Aric Audio Motherlode XL $6,125 - Incredible reviews, Aric has a phenomenal reputation, and seems to be an all around great builder in this field - https://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=MLXL
(2) Backert Labs Rhumba 1.4 $5,000 - I have this lower on my wish list, as it is Backert's entry level preamp, what I'd really like is the Rhumba Extreme....but no way I can justify the $8,500 price. And finding a used Rhumba Extreme 1.3 has proved impossible, though I'm not opposed to it.
(3) Don Sachs and Lynn Olson new Raven (Revolution) preamp $5,000 - His reputation alone makes this preamp important, and he is an all around great and giving guy of his time. I've communicated several times with Don, and he flat out tells me this is the best preamp he has ever designed by far and is a "cost no object" project. I think that production starts Jan/Feb this year (being built by Spatial Audio Labs)
(4) Atma-Sphere MP3 Mk 3.3 $5,650 - Venerable favorite, it's a well known and well reviewed product http://www.atma-sphere.com/en/mp-3.html
(5) Linear Tube Audio MicorZOTL $5,750 with balanced inputs and Level 2, see this well reviewed and well thought of brand a lot
Thank you in advance for your input
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- 66 posts total
I chose a Supratek Cabernet a few years ago, had some problems with it initially and had to ship it back for new power supply, was thinking about the Moderlode from Aric Audio, Aric was great to correspond with also, I choose to give Mick a chance to repair my pre amp and am very happy I did that, the Cabernet sounds fantastic with my Belles sa30 power amp, so I am very happy. Choosing a tube pre, one has to know what kind of sound one wants, in my humble opinion if the sound is close to a solid state sound, then I would just choose a solid state one, no tube hassle 😜. For me I would not hesitate buying a Supratek again as the sound is sublime, also buying from Aric would be very tempting, reading all the positive reviews and feedback from consumers, also I don’t think there is a much nicer or helpful guy in audio. |
@vthokie83 Do you have a balanced input on your amps? FWIW, since this is likely all moot at this point, the MP-3 has a patented direct-coupled output which sets it apart from the others of your list and audition. If the Backert Labs was balanced, it would have been the only other preamp on your list that supports AES48 (the balanced line standard) other than the MP-3; it uses an output transformer for that. The balanced line standard helps prevent interconnect cables from causing a coloration. If you have ever auditioned and heard a difference between interconnect cables, you know what I'm talking about. If your amplifier uses a single-ended input, then using a balanced preamp won't help out. |
Ralph, I certainly appreciate your input, and yes one of my amps does have balanced inputs. I ultimately went with the Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp, and it has one balanced and one unbalanced output.....two balanced and two unbalanced inputs. Though I did not speak specifically with Aric about the AES48 standard, his website for the preamp does specifically say the balanced connections support AES48. I also purchased a CODA S5.5 amplifier which has balanced and unbalanced connections, but it does not specifically say whether it supports AES48 |
@vthokie83 The inputs do but not the output. As far as I can make out the Coda supports the standard. |
- 66 posts total