Has anyone heard the Herron VTSP-3 linestage?

Lula: I own a VTSP-3 and it is fabulous. I have owned a number of highly rated preamps including CAT, First Sound, Krell, etc. and this is my favorite by far. It is dead quiet, has superb tonality, is very detailed, has tremendous bass and treble, is very neutral but has just the right touch of tube magic. It is extremely transparent and allows you to hear everything your source has to offer without being analytical. I have not tried the ARC Ref 3 in my system, but I auditioned an ARC LS26 and the Herron smoked it. I also tried an Aesthetix Calypso, a Boulder (can't remember the model number), a Belles, and a Modwright 36.5--the Herron easily bested them all. The only pre-amp that I liked as well was the Nagra PL-L, but it was significantly more money. I recently auditioned a CAT Renaissance and it was terrific, but it was not as quiet as the Herron. You can't go wrong with the Herron. One added benefit to the Herron is that it is very easy on its tubes and thus they last forever. I leave my VTSP-3 on 24/7 and the tubes show no sign of wear. The Herron does take a loooong time to break-in. Therefore do not judge it by a short audition. It is very sensitive to power cords, interconnects, and speaker cables in the sense that it will really sing if you choose the right wire to go with it. I currently am using a Shunyata Anaconda CX power cord, the newest Wireworld Eclipse interconnects and speaker cable, and have partnered the Herron with a Jeff Rowland Model 10 amp. Let me know if I can answer any specific questions that you may have. Sflazor.

Thanks, Sflazor. Any attempt to tube roll? I prefer a full-
bodied mid-bass through lower mids....I'm wondering about the
use of vintage Mullards or Amperexes.

Amperexs were a good choice in my older Herron pre. Probably worth a try. Cheers,
Spencer

Lula:

I have not tried any tube rolling with the VTSP-3. Dave Herron recommends against it. I have been so pleased with the sound produced by the stock tubes that I have not been tempted to try NOS tubes. The bass is terrific with the stock tubes. My Proacs deliver such terrific bass with this pre that one would think I have hooked up a sub- woofer. When Dave Herron modified the VTSP-2 and came up with the VTSP-3, one of the major changes was added warmth in the lower mids. The VTPS-3 does not have exagerated warmth in the sense of the older Conrad Johnson pre-amps, however. Instead, it has a very pleasing warmth that makes the pre-amp sound very human. The VTSP-3 is voiced so realistically that when I am in another room, I often think my wife is talking to a guest in the next room only to find that what I was hearing was the Herron. This preamp's midrange is eerily life-like.

Keith Herron....