Tube preamp question

Demo'd a whole assortment of preamps the past two weeks. i must say most (not all) were very nice, each having their own set of characteristics. i have heard, prima luna , rogue, audio research, cary, aesthetix, ayre and a few others. Of those mentioned i liked the aesthetix calypso and ayre (kx5 i believe) to be the best. i still have not been able to demo any BAT products which i really wanted to. i haven't heard that perfect symmetry with my clad D spectrons but I'm on my way *im trying thats for sure)

Do you have access to a McIntosh dealer? Like you I am considering a tube preamp upgrade (from my Mac C220) and intend to demo the C2500 at some point. That's their top-of-the-line pre insofar as single box units go.

The inclusion of a killer DAC in that preamp may not be something you would use (hence needlessly driving the price up) but it is a large part of the appeal for me as my digital front end (Marantz SA7S1) is 2007 technology.

i believe there is one not too far, ill defiantly inquire. The arc 17se really makes my amp/speakers sound better (best I've heard thus far) but I'm really missing the mid bass i heard with the Ayre. if these were my only two options id keep the arc ,even without the med bass, the highs really sing. I've never heard the Gallos sound this nice at such a low volume.
i am still eager to demo some aesthetic products and i would love to try (no dealer anywhere near me) a modwright.

:) you missed one, in a way the granddaddy of them all.

The Atma-Sphere MP-1 was/is the world's first balanced line preamp, having been introduced in 1989. It is unusual in that it is also all-tube, but has a direct-coupled output, something unusual in any tube preamp. This allows it to be more transparent.

Balanced line operation has certain advantages. If you really want to experience them, whatever preamp you get should have these two characteristics:
1) the output should appear between pins 2 and 3 of the XLR connection, ground being ignored and only used for shielding. This helps reduce the effect of the interconnect cable.

2) the preamp should be comfortable driving low impedance loads. If not, its output impedance can interact with the cable, allowing the cable to color the sound. IOW again we want this to insure cable control and immunity. By 'low impedance loads' I mean 5Kohms or less.

If lacking these characteristics, the preamp will not be able to take advantage of everything the balanced line system has to offer.

For example, the balanced system was created to eliminate cable colorations. Audiophiles have long thrown money at that problem, hoping for a cure, but it was actually solved back in the early 1950s or so (the balanced line system). This allows for long cable lengths (although it still an advantage even if the cable is only 6") and the assurance that as long as the cable is properly built, it will not add or detract from the sound.

This BTW is why audio engineers often scoff at audiophiles that spend several house payments on cables. They know that cables don't make a difference! But they live in a world of balanced lines....

Want proof that this is so? Look to Mercury records or RCA Living Stereo LPs. Quite often the microphone cables were over 100 feet to get to the input of the tape recorder, but the recording is pristine. It is because this problem was solved by balanced lines.