Joule LA100 MKIII or Granite Audio 770FP or Modwrt


I need some quick help/opinions on these two and the Modwright SWL9.0 Sig as well. And maybe a Manley Shrimp.

IRS Gammas. Mesa Baron on highs, Adcom 565s on lows. The Baron has a ton of gain, and likes lower gain, quiet preamps. I like delicate highs, but do want a 'tubey' sound on the pre, as the Mesa is described as not so tubey.

I'm trying to stay new enough that caps aren't degrading, but balancing that with a top price of around $1600.

Any quick opinions?
numbdiver
I beg to defer re "Tubey" since for me it is always associated with rounding and smoothing the sound, usually at the expense of detail retrieval and speed.
I find the LA-100 Mk III rich sounding as opposed to plain "Tubey".
It is like adding a little bit of cream to a clear broth. Not too much to make it thick but enough to make it beefy and rich.
I would not call it romantic sounding:
It is more like comparing an anorexic girl to a voluptuous girl (as opposed to fat).
Here are some of my impressions:
The LA-100 Mk III attack is second to non and so is its mid range fullness and bass. Its clarity is excellent as long as good 5751 tube is being used. It is slightly mid-range forward compared to the LA-150 MK II and slightly less ambient and airy (it feels more like seating in the first or second row as opposed to the 15th row) but than a little more "beefy" than the LA-150 Mk II to my ears.
All these impressions are in my system and my room.

So to summarize: Rich - yes. Tubey - depending on your definition of tubey.

Have not heard the Modwright so cannot comment.
I had the Joule for several years and will agree 100% that it is a fine sounding pre....and also that it needs the right power cord to "wake" it up. I used a TGA Audio SLVR on it and the difference was not subtle.

The Joule with a good PC doesn't have a rolled off sound at all and is dynamic, with excellent detail, but it is definitely slightly romantic - I used to call it making the music more beautiful then real life. But the soundstaging - layers and layers, deep and wide - and the delicacy of the highs, the air around the instruments, the natural vocals and timbres et al...that sound can be very addictive. Joule will also work with you to fine tune/custom set it to match your system - they are great people.

I eventually replaced it with the Herron VTSP-1a which was a fabulous preamp (and slightly underrated IMO). That piece combined the things I loved about the Joule with a bit more neutrality and still stronger dynamics, plus it was a match made in heaven with my Herron M150 monos. I LOVE Keith Herron's gear - it just took my system to the next level. But I could've happily kept the Joule forever.
Have Baron with the Modwrightd. The combo is very good.
The Baron is really good with EL34s.