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Beautiful Colored Tube Preamp ($10k budget) to Pair w/ Very Accurate Monitors (PSI A25M)

I'm helping a friend set up a dream home setup based around (4) PSI A25M powered speakers w (2) PSI A225M subwoofers. Prism Lyra2 D/A converters. I know the PSI sound and it's very pleasing for home listening and of course super detailed  but I do want to provide some beautiful high end color /magic via a tube preamp which really adds a warmth to the sound. So curious what folks feel in the $10k range for a lot of that tube color and help warm up the very accurate PSI monitors some. Main source will be Tidal / streaming audio as well as a CDJ3000 DJ setup playing digital files. Having phono pre not essential - having a few inputs nice to easily switch between streaming and dj setup  =]  Maybe a manufacturer based in North America / US since based here and easier to deal w just in case any issues arise?  But also not essential

dejayos
dejayos OP
6 posts
 

ended up going with Aric Motherlode XL custom built to match the PSI system (apparently it has unusual needs being that they are powered speakers being fed directly from the preamp) =] thanks everyone for their input !

jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
502 posts
 

Ming Da MC2A3 is very warm and tubey sounding.

immatthewj
1,525 posts
 

As far as the Cary SLP05, I don’t consider mine to be all that warm. It could be the tubes I am running in the balanced input sockets, or the cables I am using, or another component in my system, but I felt replacing my old Cary SLP90 with the SLP05 cooled my system down but added air & detail/hence improving imaging.

Which is not to say that I do not like my ’05, just that I am not finding it extremely warm.

jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
502 posts
 

Yes I agree that the Cary is more neutral.Typical of a good 6SN7 preamp.Very good preamp .My brother owned one and I owned a Supratek Cabernet 300B.That sounded more tubey.Especially with meshplate 300bs.I preferred the Supratek but both are excellent.The Ming Da MC2A3 is more tubey again with a very SET like sound but bass can be a bit bloomy.With tight bass speakers like Gale 401s it matches well.

vthokie83
709 posts
 

dejayos

Congratulations on the new preamp, the Motherlode XL has been a revelation for me.....I never knew how much a great preamp could "make" as system. Aric had to do some customization on mine as well, to compensate for the 10k ohm input for my CODA S5.5 amplifier.

I can also highly recommend some upgraded 6SN7 tubes that work very well in the Motherlode XL: Tung-Sol 6SN7GT ($300 pair), Sylvania 6SN7WGA (VT-231) $250 pair, Sylvania "Bad Boy" 6SN7s ($200 to $250 pair), and the Linlai E-6SN7s $156 plus shipping from jjyaudio.com which is a very trustworthy source for Chinese made tubes. 

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