Thanks again everyone, it seems I have zeroed in on two excellent preamps in the middle-upper price range, each with loyal followers. After owning a fully decked out Atma-Sphere MP3 and the Vibe/Pulse, I must say I am partial to stepped attenuators instead of potentiometers like the Alps used in the Joule. In fact that is my main sticking point about trying the Joule - that the Alps blue will limit performance to nothing better than the Zoe I am using now. I plan to contact Jud Barber today to see if he uses another type of volume control, or if he would retrofit a stepped attenuator into a LA150-2. I do see a LA100 MkII for sale here that appears to have some type of stepped attenuator and was apparantly modified by a former Joule technician, and I also seem to remember something about them having a different volume control option if remote is not needed, so maybe there is a chance.
The LL2 uses two Alps "Black Beauty" potentiometers, but I cannot find anything out there about that particular model, except maybe it is discontinued. I read in one review article that it is a stepped attenuator, but have not seen that anywhere else and my recollection is that it is simply their top-of-the-line potentiometer. My concern is that in the case of the Lamm, steps were somehow added, but it is still simply a potentiometer.
The only other preamp on my radar at this time is the Herron. I like what I hear about the new VTSP-3, being a more fleshed-out version of the VTSP-2, and I would be willing to try out the VTSP-2 since Herron offers an upgrade to the VTSP-3 for only the difference in price between the two - very cool for a company to do.
Again, thanks guys. I don't know why the preamp position has been so hard for me to fill in my system. I plan to try one of the ones listed above, although if I cannot find anything much better, I will simply stay with the Zoe, which is making a remarkably good show of itself.
The LL2 uses two Alps "Black Beauty" potentiometers, but I cannot find anything out there about that particular model, except maybe it is discontinued. I read in one review article that it is a stepped attenuator, but have not seen that anywhere else and my recollection is that it is simply their top-of-the-line potentiometer. My concern is that in the case of the Lamm, steps were somehow added, but it is still simply a potentiometer.
The only other preamp on my radar at this time is the Herron. I like what I hear about the new VTSP-3, being a more fleshed-out version of the VTSP-2, and I would be willing to try out the VTSP-2 since Herron offers an upgrade to the VTSP-3 for only the difference in price between the two - very cool for a company to do.
Again, thanks guys. I don't know why the preamp position has been so hard for me to fill in my system. I plan to try one of the ones listed above, although if I cannot find anything much better, I will simply stay with the Zoe, which is making a remarkably good show of itself.