Need preamp recommendation


Well, the quest for the tube rolling didn't go anywhere after a quick phone call to a tube vendor who advised me that low noise tubes won't lower the background noise of the preamp. Unfortunately I need to replace my VTL TL-5.5 to something else with lower noise floor.

The new preamp must have very low noise. My amps have about 25dB of gain, and my speakers are 93dB sensitive. It can reveal small amount of idle noise too well, which was undetectable with the same speakers but with power amp of 15dB of gain. Also the new preamp must have low / no gain, or adjustable gain. My VTL has additional 20dB of gain, and it's just too loud.

Some of the preamps that piqued my interests are Aesthetix Calypso, Placette, and Sonic Euphoria. I've read some earlier models of Calypso suffered from noise issue. I'd like to hear from the owners with sensitive speakers and high gain amps if there is any noise issue.

I'd love to try the new TL-5.5 which was long announced, but I don't think it's shipping yet. Anyone from VTL reading this board?

Any other low noise preamp that I should consider? I'd like the tubes, but as tube gears have inherently higher noise floor I'll also consider solid states and passive designs. The budget is flexible, but I'd like to keep it under $3k. The new preamp will be driving Pass XA-30.5.
jylee
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My listening chair is 9 feet from the plane of my speakers. From the chair, I can hear no hiss, hum, buzz or anything from my system which includes the Lamm LL2 Deluxe, especially when the music begins playing. I can hear a very slight tube hiss within about 3-4 feet of my 90dB speakers, but that is of no consequence to me because of how good the Lamm gear sounds. With your higher efficiency speakers, you may hear that tube hiss further out. Therefore, if the noise level is of high importance to you, I again recommend you consider trying the Tom Evans preamp with Pulse (be sure to get a Lithos 7 model). I have owned two of these and with either I could hear nothing at all from my speakers outside of about one foot away.....nothing except when music was playing. So, if quietness is of major importance to you, I can make no better recommendation of the preamps I have owned than the Tom Evans. They have body, fullness, and a natural sound that frequently eludes SS preamps. While there may be other SS preamps that meet your needs, I have not heard them. If you get a chance to audition, try the TE Lithos 7, Vibe with Pulse.
Mitch2, I'm not much of a noise freak as it may have sounded after the lengthy exchanges with Tvad. :) I just don't want my system to produce unpleasant noise all the time. I'm sure many other feel the same way about their systems as well.

The example you provided in your system is actually an encouragement. It looks like your Lamm amps provide very high gain, about 32dB. With 90dB sensitive speakers your setup reveals more background noise, if any, than mine. Although my speakers are slightly more sensitive, my amps provide less gain at 25dB than yours. If you can't hear hiss 4 ft away in your system, I probably can't hear any hiss at 8 ft away in my system. Thanks for the additional detail.
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Jylee,
I owned a VTL 5.5, and I really appreciated its drive and liked the way it sounded. The top end was very sweet. However, drawbacks were that it was a little noisy and had sort of a retro tube sound (bloomy bass). IMO, the Lamm LL2 Deluxe is a much nicer tube preamp, and one that makes virtually any partnering equipment sound good. You should read the August 2009 review by Tim Aucremann at the Soundstage! website. He pretty much nails the sound of the Lamm preamp, IMO. He compared it to his $12K Atmasphere MP-1 and noted the inherent differences in how each design sounds. I also owned a fully decked out Atma MP-3, and my experience with the Atmasphere preamp sound generally matched his assessment. Personally, I appreciate the low frequency drive and depth of the Lamm, and the midrange warmth/richness over the Atmasphere I owned, and I suspect the difference in drive has to due with the OTL design vs. having a transformer. A preamp I would put closer to the sonic attributes of the Atma-sphere (in the areas of clean high frequencies and soundstaging) is the CAT, which is also very nice, and exceptional in the bass. If you look at CAT, be aware they are high gain designs and be sure to look into the gain reduction options they are offering now, especially with your hiss considerations. The Tom Evans I discussed previously for its quietness is closer to the sonic characteristics of the Lamm. The noise thing is relative to your system and your preferences. Therefore, ideally you should hear what you plan to buy in your own system. BTW, the LL2 and LL2.1 should be sonically identical as far as my research goes, with the main sonic exception being the abilty to lower gain with the newer 2.1 version. The other differences are cosmetic and operational.