Opportunity to buy the best Preamp... but which?

The "best" is discernible in so far as one can reproduce music in the home that delivers the hallmarks of a live performance: Wide dynamic range, undistorted frequency extension, wide deep tall soundstaging, timbral accuracy (a viola sounds like a viola etc...). Instruments have certain identifiable sounds and sonic charachteristics, great halls portray instruments in a certain way...the best audio gear should allow one to enter the moment of creation and suspend belief! This is not ice cream, it is music and should be easily identified as such through a great hi-end system with as few limitations and or artifacts as possible...great gear can do this better than other conventional designs. FM acoustics sounds like a professional brand. It has been my experience that individuals "in the business" of making music are usually the worst judges of hi-fidelity equipment...counter-intuitive I know, but they seem to value aspects of sound re-creation that is askew of us mere mortals who savor their labors!

If cost is no object I'd buy one ss preamp (Gryphon Mirage) and one tube preamp (CAT Legend or Shindo top) and change my sound accordingly.

I recall FM Acoustics now...it's a swiss boutique manufacturer catering to the exclusive "money is no object/sound is second" club. A tube preamp is a must, amplification is getting better for both camps.

We just revamped our MP-1 at the beginning of the year and we do think its the best thing out there. FWIW its turned into our best seller- outselling our cheaper preamp 10:1 and outselling the amps too.

I think its better than anything I've heard, including fm acoustics :), *but-* I found that some people want something darker, especially if they are running bad digital, or they want something simpler (our stuff is fully differential and balanced and although works quite well with single-ended amps, its an uphill battle...), and we don't have any transformers in the circuit and there are actually those who will not accept an audio piece if it has no transformers (which I regard as a filter). Then there are those that want remote control, and are willing to sacrifice sound quality to get it.

And finally- I've not heard everything out there. There would then be the question: would I allow that something else is better, given my predisposed position as a designer and manufacturer? I'm not sure I can answer that, and the fact that I've not heard any better over the years can't be evidenciary, as I could be biased or our gear really could be that much better.

So the bottom line seems to be that even if you *know* in your heart of hearts that you have the best, that the reality of the culture is in fact that the best cannot exist! God could have made the preamp, and there would be those to accuse it of being too dark, too bright, too boomy, too bass shy, etc. The "best" does not exist in that world, it only exists by individual declaration.

It would seem to be a hopeless case, as there is therefore no meaning in making improvements, but I have found that when situations arise that seem to have no meaning, you have to play the game all out so as to be a player rather than a mere occurrence, IOW even if the best does not and cannot exist that I choose to try to make the best and do that best I can anyway. Sort of like Sisyphus...

If God sold a preamp, Tara would be the dealer, and it would be the best without question. Of course, no tubes would be found inside the divine box ;)

Regards,