Preamp Deal of the Century

Just an opinion to be added at this point. I understand that it is frustrating to have to wait for your new gear. But, everyone here must understand that part of the allure of the product you have ordered, is that it is individually hand made by the designer and owner himself. This guy is not superman. He can only do so much, and still maintain his level of product quality. You all have placed orders, and so have many others. At some point, it becomes very hard for a small outfit like this to keep up with the growth. If you want the exclusivity of a hand made product like this one, then you have to give the guy some elbow room to handle the mammoth task at hand. When I talked with David Berning about making a prototype custom amp for my system, he told me that I could get on the list and when he is ready to start my project, I could send him a 50% down payment, and it would be ready in about 3 months from then. I don't even really know when he will start my project, but I hope that I may get it by the beginning of next year. In the meantime, I am just waiting for him to call and tell me when he plans on starting the project. So, you guys are not alone in your waiting game. I feel confident that David Berning will get around to making my dream amp someday, and I am also sure that Mick will fill all of your preamp orders as soon as he can. The wait will be worth it, if the product is anywhere near as good as the people in this thread say it is.

Hey, bwhite an the rest who have one how are they sounding over the longer haul?

Twl is right: if Mick doesn't build each one with his pathological need to give you the best he can create, then you won't get what we are talikng about. I know its frustrating though.

Still loving mine. Not a burp or hickup. Its a rock, a beautiful one. Hope you all think so to when you get yours.

mark

Hi guys,

I have had my Syrah for 4 months now and it is amazing! I no longer think so much about how the various pieces of equipment sounds. I just enjoy the music. This is the most "musical" piece of equipment that I have ever bought. I am still using the stock tubes except for the 6sn7's. I bought a pair of Tung-Sol round plate 6sn7's. Big improvement! I just bought a pair of Tung-Sol 5881's, but have not recieved them yet.

I understand that Fiddler is about to get his preamp. This should give the rest of you hope tht they are truly coming.
You can't rush Mick, but you will be rewarded in the end.

I essentially refrained from emailing Mick for the last 3.5 months since I was getting my updates from this thread alone. I finally broke down and inquired last week. In response Mick said it would take a "while" longer. However, he did attach a couple of "goo goo ga ga" reponses from a couple of new owners just to console me. I wanted to ask him "how much longer" but I held back because I just didn't want to get a heart attack - kidding! I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait but I also just wanna get done with the system for a while...hah! hah!

Cheers to Fiddler...

A late thank you to Bwhite for sharing with us some time ago how the Syrah is set up and especially how to iron out the microphonic probem of vintage 6SN7s or indeed other vintage tubes.
Now I will like to know whether anyone has experimented with different cords between the power supply and main unit, I remember the improvement of upgrading the cord with ARC pres. So there may be room for improvement in this area.
It will also be helpful if users can tell us how long the initial break-in period and anything that we should pay particular attention during this break-in.
Many thanks in advance.
WS