VTL, CTC, Lamm, ARC, EAR, Halcro, Mark Levison

Although I don't own Kharma speakers I do have Wilson X-2's which I do drive with ease using the Lamm ML 2.1 I have owned many amps and without question these are the most musical that I have ever heard. Having said that I also own the ARC Ref 3 which IMO is the best preamp that I have ever owned or heard. I did audition the Lamm L2 in my system hoping for a synergy between it and the ML 2.1's. I took a pass on it as I found it far too cold for my taste. I also have a friend who reviews high end gear. He just sold his VTL 7.5 for the Ref3 preamp.

David,

For a quick look at the Tom Evans Vibe, check Jeff Day's preview on 6moons: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/tomevans2/vibe.html. He will have a full review coming up soon.

The Vibe is not the preamp to buy if you want something that looks the part. It's a very lightweight unit, with its plain black plastic case and plain black plastic knobs. Even the outboard 2-piece PSU won't attract any attention. No milled faceplate, no casework machined from a solid ingot of aluminum, no 20 kg control unit and 20 kg PSU. It will not impress anyone. Not till you turn it on, anyway.

The magic is all inside, in Tom Evans' ultra-low-noise voltage regulator design, in the use of current instead of voltage feedback, in the parts selection (DACT attenuator and WASP selector switch) and in the design of the two-stage outboard power supply that smooths and regulates the DC twice before it even hits the magic regulator in the control unit.

It's simultaneously the most musically intense and sonically revealing preamp I've heard so far. This includes things like the Canary CA-801, a two-box Audion and the Bent Audio transformer passive. I haven't heard the other heavy hitters being discussed in this thread, but this tube-head finds the Vibe impossible to shut off.

Compared to some of the other units under discussion here, its price of $8600 USD is attractive as well.

Tom Evans is doing some of the more original audio R&D that I'm aware of these days. His Linear A amp uses parallel EL84 tubes driven by op amps (!) to create what he characterizes as a super-triode sound - the tonal qualities of of a 10 tube but with power, extension and dynamics. These are the claims, anyway - I'll know by the end of next week when my amp arrives.

Dear all,
here is a sum up of the main ideas :

* L2 Lamm Ref, a bit dark souding but goes well with the ML2.1. obviously
* ARC Ref 3 still seems to be close to what I'm looking for, according to oneobgyn, who owns one and has such a great system
* CJ ART2 and Calysto deserve to be considered, even if they might be the most "tuby" preamp
* Halcro 10 and Mark Levinson don't get many positive feedback
* CTC blowtorch are sadly not done any more
* VTL7.5 is a classic but I have to admit I don't know how it sounds.

now new possibilities :
* The Dart Zeel preamp, which is probably going to follow the same succesfull path than the amp (according toe Mike, who knows what is talking about) and is made in Geneva (quite "close" to Paris)
By the way mike, I'll be delighted to listen to your friend's system when he tries the DarTzeel Preamp
* MBL and Boulder (but not Burmeister?) are at the top of the range as well.
...audio design ?

no opinion on Lyra connoisseur 5.0 or 4.2 line...or Wavac ..

well the list just got bigger...

I will keep you posted.

Thank you

David,

One last minor pint of clarification. Your ears and preferences will be the final judge. BUT, I should point out that I had your same preconceived notion of the the C-J preamps as "tubey." When I got the ART-II in for audition I fully expected it to be too "tubey" and that I would not like it when matched to my Lamms and Exquisites. I could not have been more wrong. The older C-J preamps like the PV-10 et al, may indeed be warm and lush and "tubey" sounding, but the ART was nothing like this. Yes, it has the harmonic richness and, in my opinion, more natural timbre and bloom that tubes can give, but it certainly wasn't dark, rolled off, syrupy or too "tubey."

So, if I were you, I wouldn't go into my search thinking the way I did and that it will be too "tubey."

I hope this helps - good luck and I hope you find a great match for your incredible system!!

I have the Lamm L2 preamp with Lamm ML1's and as you would expect this combination is very synergistic. This preamp provides lots of detail and dynamics but conveys it in a very musical way. Even though the output is solid state it does not sound like a solid state preamp to me.