Solid State Preamp to replace tube unit


I currently own a CJ tube preamp. Ive always owned tube preamps and I would like to get my first solid state preamp.I am fed up with buying expensive hard to find tubes that last 3 months or new production tubes with that not so great sound. I pine for consistency. I probably wont sell my CJ I'll just keep it. My power amps are NAD M23 for the summer and CJ Premiere 12's for the winter.

Since I dont dabble in the solid state world I am not sure what to get. I figure since this is my first SS unit 4-5k preowned??. Some brands I have considered CODA< Pass, AYRE, Classe, Bel Canto, Krell etc. Note: I have tried the Parasound and Benchmark but they didnt do it for me. I dont like anayltical sterile sound. If it is a touch warm/colored that is probably good as I am coming from a very warm CJ tube unit.

Must haves are a remote with balance control. Multiple outputs (XLR and RCA). I have an outboard phono pre. Thank you for reading and for your suggestions.

jimbones

I'm either VERY LUCKY or an anomaly.  I have 3 tube amps and 2 tube preamps (McIntosh MC-225 paired with an Audio Research SP17, a Dennis Had Inspire "Fire Bottle" 45 paired with a Dennis Had LP3.1, and a Reisong A10 EL34 Integrated).  The stock Reisong tubes were replaced in 2018 with NOS tubes, the Dennis Had gear has Emission Labs 45 tubes I installed in 2018, the ARC tubes are more than 10 years old (I bought it in 2020 from the original owner and he had receipts where he replaced the tubes in 2012) and the McIntosh has Westinghouse 7591 "Made For McIntosh" tubes that appear to be original based on my research (I bought it from the original owner in 2021 who bought it in 1963, my year of birth -- he said he had never replaced the tubes and the technician I had go over it said all tubes looked original, it had been in storage for 20 years).

 

Each system gets played several times a week, for an hour or two each session.  For those of you with far more knowledge than I have...what am I doing right??  I'm not complaining, far from it.  But how can the OP go through tubes as he said and I have Dorian Gray tubes??

lordrootman,

why are you selling? The p8 is an absolutely phenomenal preamp I can understand selling the w8 because the 861 is so much better, It's going to be hard to beat the p8.

I have been using a preamp with a selectable tube gain section (Pro-Ject Pre Box RS2 Digital) with a ss class-D amp (NAD C298, which uses a Purify design). The combination has worked very well. The amplifier is rated 185W into 8 ohms.