Mapletree 4SE vs. TAD 150 signature best sound???


Which preamp is tops, the Mapletree 4se or the TAD 150 signature? The source is a Mccormack DNA-1

dvdgreco
The Mapletree wins by more than a little. The TAD is a very nice sounding pre,and the remote is handy. The Mapletree is a fantastic sounding pre,but you get no remote. I believe the difference is the use of octal tubes in the 4A SE,point to point wiring,and tube rectification.I'm using a Silver plus upgraded DNA-1
Not familiar with the TAD, but the Mapletree sounds ALOT better than its price would suggest. Made by a retired Professor of electrical engineering, it seems to be a no BS product with a lot of good circuit and overall design behind it. Not audio jewelry on the outside perhaps, but one heck of a good sounding piece of gear.
I can't comment on the Mapletree but I used a TAD 150 sig with a DNA-1 for several years and enjoyed the combination. One downside to the TAD 150 is the phono stage, which may or may not be important to you. The phono stage is ok but I'm not sure it's as high quality as the line stage inputs.

On the plus side, Paul Grzybek--the man at Busy Bee audio who imported and modified the TAD-150--is a class act. I contacted him with a technical question a few years ago and he responded in a matter of hours. It's nice to see someone committed to his products years later.

e