best preamp ever - cost is no object

Mrtennis, if you are accusing me of hyping, go to hell. You heard a very aged unit and claim to have heard a very transistor sound. I heard a unit of the same age but heard nothing like this. What would you conclude?

As I will say for the last time to you, please do not listen to the new P-12R, you might like it.

hi tbg:

what is the point of this discussion ? i'll give it a rest if you do. you can have the last word. you certainly are entitled your opinion, but your carrying on about this subject makes no sense and proves nothing.

I´ve just inserted an Ayre K-1xe into my system and I must say - that you´ll have to spend very crazy money to top its performance significantly (so from a respective price point this might be the best value in solid state pre-amplification). Better but much more expensive was the phantastic Ayon Spheris tube pre-amp for € 20 grand which according to the dealer is the best tube pre he has ever heard (and he carries a lot of tube pre´s as Nagra, CAT, VTL, Audio Research, Einstein, Brinkmann, T+A and Kondo).

AND: coming back to tennis: McÉnroe was for sure the player with the best "touch and talent" in professional tennis and with 156 titles the most successful ;)

Mrtennis, I would say also that your carrying on about this subject makes no sense and proves nothing. I see no reason also to continue.

hi frankpiet:

assessing talent in tennis is as subjective as assessing the merits of components and stereo systems. you are entitled to your opinion.

for the nth time, it is more useful to state the qualities of an amplifier that you consider laudable rather than to suugest that one will have to spend more money than the cost of an ayre to get a better amp. to my ears, i might be able to achieve what is in my opinion more favorable sound than i would get from having an ayre amp drive my mg 1.6 speakers, by spending less money than the cost of an ayre amp.