Joule Electra LA-150 MK3 vs MK2?

Hello ISanchez: Simon Thacher of MCV Consulting who work with Jud Barber told me that new J-E phono stage is coming. Also based on LAX-300ME technology and suppose to be paired with it. Similar power supply etc.

Regarding Elrod power cord, I use older EPS-3 Signature with my Joule-Electra preamp. I expect that new Silver or Gold are much better but I concentrated on the speaker cables to match my Spectron amplifier which Simon aslo voiced when he was with Spectron Audio

All The Best
Rafael

Hey guys - I want to ask a touchy question without starting a flame war. Just an honest question. I have a Supratek Chardonnay (well known here on Audiogon) that was only 2.3k. If I moved up to this pre for 14.8k can anyone who has heard both tell me what I get? Similarly, I use older Pass Amplification that used was in the 2k range, and their current models are 10 - 40k... I know there is a price/performance curve that isn't linear, and I've heard truly amazing things about Joule gear, so what do I get for the 12k difference?

Hello Lightminer,

I did auditioned Supratek but not in my system. Still from this experience, I would suggest that Jud Barber new LA-300ME is in totally different class - most strikingly for me is its removal of any artificuality between you and the music. I expressed it in my review (along with many other audiophile attributes) and I believe iSanchez expressed exactly the same reaction as I have ( see his review too). May be its because we are musicians and we appreciate realism more ten anything else. In this (real music representation) I never heard in any other preamp (closest is REX by BAT ($21k) in my opinion)

All The Best
Rafael

I'll check out the reviews. I'll also see if I can audition them as well just out of curiosity - it will be many years before I can lay down that kind of money for audio equipment. But who knows...

Hello Rafael,

Thanks for the insight.

Hello Lightminer,

I don't have a Supratek, but I've had the Joule Electra Marianne Memorial Edition preamp for a few months now. This is a fantastic preamp by any measure and I have already written about it in these forums and in the reviews section here in Audiogon.

Your question made me curious about what my system would sound like without the preamp. I connected the Benchmark DAC1 straight to the mono-blocks and listened. Unfortunately, I had to get up and leave within 20 seconds. That's how much I could stand listening to my system without this preamp. It was as if the life was sucked out of the music. The sound became very dry. Soundstage organization was all over the map. Voices sounded congested, as if singing with a sore throat. Bass impact and definition was gone. I could not feel the bass in the next room as is the case with the Joule Electra preamp.

I then plugged the Joule Electra preamp again and life came back to the music. What I learned with this ephemeral experiment was that it is very easy to live with the Joule Electra's presentation of the music, and that it is very difficult to listen to anything else but live music.

I can see that you also have the Maggies 3.6. At least in my system, this preamp brought a lot of depth, slam, texture and definition to the bass. What is interesting is that this is something that is more associated with amps, not preamps. I have a Velodyne HGS 15 subwoofer that I just use as a side table. I connected this sub a few days after I got this preamp and, at least with Jazz and Classical, there was just a bit more bass, but this came at the expense of pitch definition. So the sub went back to be what it's being doing for a while: being a nice, glossy side table.

Best,

iSanchez