Preamp for Magnepan

tubes for air & spaciousness & silky sound, matched w/ss for quick transient response = one of those rare, but oh so worthwhile, good marriages. tubes give you a movie w/a story to tell, ss the dynamics you get from rapid special effect scenes. (tube preamps - you'll change tubes less frequently & at a far lower cost then large costly power amp tubes.) by the way, i have IIIa's rebuilt to 3.6's but the old crossover.

which tube preamps do you recommend?

Go tubed pre.

What is your budget?

Audio Reasearch is what I have heard on them.

Maggie's always seem to be paired with AR stuff, but that's when both the pre and the amp are AR. If you're going with a SS amp (especially if it is a Bryston, which can be pretty dry) then I would suggest a pre that adds a more spacious (tubey) presentation that the AR's.

They where hardly ever mated with the AR amps. Bryston 95% of the time I went in there.