Preamp DAC option.

Hello Duane. I'm also looking in tube pre-amps. How does the Conrad Johnson 14LS2 compare to the units you listed above?

Hello again. The CJ is not bad at all but tends to have a sound all it's own that can be overly intusive once you get tired of it. I will say that Bill Conrad is a very honest buisness man and you will find long term service if you buy it. The others I mentioned I would give the edge to when it comes to being way better than the price tag suggests. The 2 that really stand out for that are the Musical Design and the Encore. The Encore is the best of the 2 but sells used for twice the price.

CTL 2.5 is an excellent value and a good performer for a tubed preamp at under 1000 used. The much more expensive 5.5, a true dual monaural which uses relays (as oppposed to mechanical switching) for switching is a clearly better preamp but usually goes for 1800, or more, used as a linestage.

VTL has great support.

Hello again. I agree the VTL is great and the 2.5 is amazing at the price and the fact that it has remote volume. VTL service is awsome. Luke is much better than is dad.

I'm auditioning the the CJ 14LS and VTL 2.5 in my home this weekend. So far, I'm leaning towards the VTL, much more transparent that the CJ. I prefer the CJ's vocals but am less partial to it coloration in the highs and lows. And also, this might sound a bit strange, but I dont like the look of the CJ...doesnt hamonize well with the rest of my system.

Another important consideration is the lower price of the VTL. This way I can free up some cash to upgrade some of my cabling.