Transistor Preamp that sounds like a Tube Preamp?

Saxo asked:
"You probably think I'm crazy, but with all the improvements in solid state, are there any transistor preamps that have the following characteristics I hear in tubes?

1. Fully fleshed out instrumental timbre and overtones?

1. Full, alive midrange with bloom, body and dimension?

2. The airy space and separation between instruments?

3. That realness and aliveness of tubes?

4. At a retail of around $6,000 or less?"

Here's the criteria which the Jeff Rowland Design Group's Capri pre-amp meets:

1. Fully fleshed out instrumental timbre and overtones?

2. Full, alive midrange with bloom, body and dimension, if it's in the recording?

3. The airy space and separation between instruments?

4. That realness and aliveness of music?

5. At a retail of around $6,000 or less?

Eric Pritchard has studied this. He has some opinions on the way they sound. It may not be the ground truth but he has tried to emulate the tubes sound in overload with SS. He builds guitar and microphone amps.

In the music industry the main issue with SS is how they overload badly - try telling a musician and a band that yesterdays sessions are all useless becuase some SS mikes were overloading (not great for repeat business!!). I don't agree with everything he says but I share his believe that overload behaviour is the major difference. (Most people do not realize how easy it is to drive even a very powerful amp into overload without necessrily souding loud...speaker that are difficult loads are often to blame)

If you don't need gain, I think a Placette Active (buffer)would accomplish what you are looking for without tubes.

Have you looked at McIntosh? Their new C-2300 is a tube unit that now has both MC and MM phono stages. I recently replaced my C-2200 with the C-2300 and love the openess and transparency of the C-2300. It retails for $6k. McIntosh is often described as making tube electronics that sound like well done solid state and solid state electronics that sound like well done tubes. If you still want solid state, look at the McIntosh C-45 or C-46. You can read a comparison of Mac's tube vs. solid state gear in either Absolute Sound or Stereophile archives. McIntosh is often looked down upon by many, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my Mac systems over the years. Plus, it's still made in the USA.

I would recommend the H-Cat P-12R X7 which meets your requirements but doesn't sound like tubes either.