Looking for warm, rich, euphonic tube preamp, must pair well with pass power amp (Budget $6000-7000)

[Solypsa]

@cal3713 makes a great point re DHT. Also just to mention that in recording studio circles vintage transistor gear of the highest quality ( Siemens, Neumann, Neve, etc. ) is often the go to for warmth. Without going down a vintage rabbit hole maybe a dac before said DHT preamp built with germanium, tantalum, mica parts ( like Abbas )?

 

[JackD201]

KR Audio P135

This comes with the KR45 DHT but can be easily rolled with any pair of 45 tubes. These tubes are renowned for their midrange magic.

Members here can recommend their favorite 45s. My personal vintage favorite is the Cunningham.

They should easily work with the gain structure and input sensitivity of Pass Lab amplifiers as they are in the same ballpark as KR Audio's own amplifiers being anywhere from .7 to 1v to achieve full power depending on models.

 

[Gregadd]

A request for best preamp would result in some interesting answers.

 

[tobiasrankin]

Thanks guys for your suggestions. Will look into vintage CJ and some of your other suggestions.

Anyone with experience with Aric audio ?

Also any thoughts on VAC Renaissance V ?

 

[cal3713]

Thanks guys for your suggestions. Will look into vintage CJ and some of your other suggestions.

Anyone with experience with Aric audio ?

Also any thoughts on VAC Renaissance V ?

A lot of ears I trust over on Audiogon really like Aric audio, and he seems like a great guy to work with. There are a lot of competitors in that 6sn7 space (Aric audio, Don Sachs, deHavilland, Supratek, etc.) and given the listening reports, I personally suspect that many of them are more alike than different. If I were going down that path again, I'd probably go with Aric or Supratek. As I'm sure you've seen, the reviews are almost universally positive. I did really like my DS preamp, but the purity and clarity of the DHT sound shocked me. For commercial options in the DHT realm, you've got the above-suggested KR Audio, plus Coincident, Allnic, Vinnie Rossie, & Thomas Mayer (the favorite of many WBTers in the high efficiency crowd). I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, but not a ton...

 

[Gregadd]

With respect to VAC it is a tube preamp trying to be solid state IMO.

 

[tobiasrankin]

With respect to VAC it is a tube preamp trying to be solid state IMO.

Dang then what about ARC? LOL.

A lot of ears I trust over on Audiogon really like Aric audio, and he seems like a great guy to work with. There are a lot of competitors in that 6sn7 space (Aric audio, Don Sachs, deHavilland, Supratek, etc.) and given the listening reports, I personally suspect that many of them are more alike than different. If I were going down that path again, I'd probably go with Aric or Supratek. As I'm sure you've seen, the reviews are almost universally positive. I did really like my DS preamp, but the purity and clarity of the DHT sound shocked me. For commercial options in the DHT realm, you've got the above-suggested KR Audio, plus Coincident, Allnic, Vinnie Rossie, & Thomas Mayer (the favorite of many WBTers in the high efficiency crowd). I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, but not a ton...

Thanks. Definitely going to consider Aric. I actually got really close to buying his motherlode 2 before i settled on ARC.

You know another thing that might be interesting if I want DHT is bottlhead beepree2. I ordered the moreplay in the mean time.

 

[Jpspock]

Which Pass amp are you using ?

 

[Gregadd]

ARC wants to sound like tubes but measure like solid state.

 

[tobiasrankin]

Which Pass amp are you using ?

X350.8

 

[thedudeabides]

Does other hardware in a system including room treatments (absent the pre) contribute to a warm, smooth euphonic sound?

 

[Gregadd]

Does other hardware in a system including room treatments (absent the pre) contribute to a warm, smooth euphonic sound?

Yes.

 

[thedudeabides]

Yes.

Really? Post No. 20.

 

[Gregadd]

Really? Post No. 20.

Really

 

[Jono]

As others have mentioned a Supratek DHT preamp would do the job nicely.Specifically a Cabernet or Grange .You can order one which can use a choice of your preferred directly heated triodes like say a choice via a selector switch of 300B,45 or 2A3.Mine has a choice of 300B,PX4 or 45.I tend to prefer the mesh plate 300B but have not tried a pair of good 45s.

 

[Fishfood]

I feel like my Lamm LL2.1 is somehow both lush and accurate/dynamic at the same time. Using it with SET now but I used it for a couple years before that with SS amps and I think it will do what you are asking.

 

[MRJAZZ]

Right now I have an ARC ref5se and its nice but looking for something of similar quality but warmer (maybe Vac, CJ or something you think will fit well). Looking for smooth sound, full mid range. My focus is on rich tone and not neutrality. I would prefer something without any phono.

Thanks!

You might want to consider an even older ARC PREAMP...notably either a REF 40 (The Anniversary) or a REF 2, Mark 2 (there are two different versions of the REF 2. The Mark 1 version is a little “loose” and soft sounding).
I find both of these better in the areas you mentioned than my last ARC preamp, ( REF 6SE).
Cheers...

 

[rooze]

My choice would be the CJ Premier 16LS II.

I’ve owned their ET5 and CT5 and have heard various others from their range, old and new, and there’s something special about the 16LS that the others hint towards but don’t quite reach. It seems to walk the line nicely between having that classic tube bloom/warmth, and having sufficient transparency and clarity. Perhaps the ACT is voiced similarly but I haven’t heard it and it’s quite a bit more expensive.
Others I’ve owned and enjoyed include the Allnic Audio L5000 DHT and a Supratek Chenin. The Supratek lacked in many ways and wasn’t a good choice for my system at the time. The L5000 was excellent and I regret selling it, though it didn’t have the warmth and bloom that it seems you’re looking for, far more neutral. Most of the modern tube preamps I’ve heard are voiced to be more neutral and transparent. The CJ 16LS has that classic tube quality and makes little attempt to hide it.
Good luck.

 

[Jono]

My choice would be the CJ Premier 16LS II.

I’ve owned their ET5 and CT5 and have heard various others from their range, old and new, and there’s something special about the 16LS that the others hint towards but don’t quite reach. It seems to walk the line nicely between having that classic tube bloom/warmth, and having sufficient transparency and clarity. Perhaps the ACT is voiced similarly but I haven’t heard it and it’s quite a bit more expensive.
Others I’ve owned and enjoyed include the Allnic Audio L5000 DHT and a Supratek Chenin. The Supratek lacked in many ways and wasn’t a good choice for my system at the time. The L5000 was excellent and I regret selling it, though it didn’t have the warmth and bloom that it seems you’re looking for, far more neutral. Most of the modern tube preamps I’ve heard are voiced to be more neutral and transparent. The CJ 16LS has that classic tube quality and makes little attempt to hide it.
Good luck.

The Supratek Chenin is the base model and although good value is not in the same league as the more expensive models like the Cabernet.

 

[Argonaut]

an even older ARC PREAMP...notably either a REF 40 (The Anniversary)

This ^^^^^^^^ fabulous thing esp if one replaces the regulator with a 1970’s GE 6550A for just the warm side of neutral or Tung Sol early 60’s solid grey plate for added warmth and tone or one may take that presentation a step further with late 50’s Tung Sol solid black plates … I personally found the latter a little to mellifluous, I also highly recommend replacing the stock Sovtek 6h30’s with pre 1992 production Reflector Plant 6h30 - DR‘s