[sunnydaze]

I currently own the YS Audio A2, and it is excellent.  It has beat well-known preamps costing multiples more, not only to my ears but also to several local buds who compared them.

Not a complete list, but some of the recs in this thread that I have owned or had for extended periods:

JM Blueberry Xtreme
SAS 10A
EE Minimax
EE Avant

I would take the Blueberry and YS over all of 'em.  BB is a bit warmer and colored (in a good way, for my tastes), and the YS more linear and accurate with great dynamics and a humongous stage.

EE Minimax is excellent.  All the reports over the years are accurate - not the last word in transparency/detail but rich, liquid and musical and oh-so-easy to listen to.   I would choose it over the Avant, which somehow managed to sound a bit dry, confused and a touch incoherent to me.  Maybe just not the "right" tube set?  I dunno, but several local buds felt the same way.

SAS is good - full rich and toney - but ultimately sounded a bit veiled when compared to my preferences.

Emil, I see you are local.  Stop by for a listen as I still have some of them.

[jackman]

I currently own the YS Audio A2, and it is excellent.  It has beat well-known preamps costing multiples more, not only to my ears but also to several local buds who compared them.

Not a complete list, but some of the recs in this thread that I have owned or had for extended periods:

JM Blueberry Xtreme
SAS 10A
EE Minimax
EE Avant

I would take the Blueberry and YS over all of 'em.  BB is a bit warmer and colored (in a good way, for my tastes), and the YS more linear and accurate with great dynamics and a humongous stage.

EE Minimax is excellent.  All the reports over the years are accurate - not the last word in transparency/detail but rich, liquid and musical and oh-so-easy to listen to.   I would choose it over the Avant, which somehow managed to sound a bit dry, confused and a touch incoherent to me.  Maybe just not the "right" tube set?  I dunno, but several local buds felt the same way.

SAS is good - full rich and toney - but ultimately sounded a bit veiled when compared to my preferences.Emil, I see you are local.  Stop by for a listen as I still have some of them.

I trust your judgment and understand everyone has a personal preference but I've never heard the 10A called "veiled".  In my system it is very detailed and transparent, with stock JJ tubes.   Are you sure the preamp wasn't altered or modified (or using dark sounding NOS tubes)?   Everyone's preference is different but IMO, the SAS is extremely transparent and detailed.  Since it's a tube preamp, I was expecting it to be a bit "tubey" but it is anything but.  Not sure I would call the sound "full and rich" either. 

No preamp is perfect, including the 10A, but your experience is the exact opposite of mine.  I'm using a SS amplifier and relatively revealing speakers (Bamberg Audio Series 5's).  The sound I'm getting is detailed and musical, without being analytical.  Are you sure that unit wasn't modified or altered in any way?

Cheers,

J

[bside123]

Thanks guys.
Any feedback here on the Eastern Electric Minimax pre?

Hi Emil,

Currently I am using the Eastern Electric Minimax Preamp (upgraded & modded by Tom Tutay of Florida) in one of my systems. The preamp is coupled with a McCormack DNA 0.5 Ultra-Platinum Power Amplifier upgraded by Steve McCormack and Kris Jeter of SMc Audio.

The EE Minimax sounds wonderful. It is also very sensitive to tube rolling, and tube variations can change it's voicing discernibly. As someone mentioned, so easy to listen to... so enjoyable, especially with the Tutay upgrades.

Hope this helps.

[sunnydaze]

I don't own the 10A, a local buddy does.  I've heard it several times in my rig and a few times in his.  It always sounded VG to me, and its shortcomings never really became apparent till directly compared to others.  So it is not veiled on an absolute basis, but rather a relative / comparative one. 

Compared to YS in my rig, we both preferred the YS.  He borrowed the YS and compared it to 10A in his own rig.  He prefers the YS there too, so much so that he went out and bought a YS.  Couldn't comment on the 10A tubes, or its working condition.  He has owned it for a long time and rolled it quite a bit, so I assume he's using what HE thinks is good.

Maybe you would conclude and choose differently.     
Synergy, preferences, different strokes, and all that jazz. 

[sunnydaze]

Hi Emil,

Currently I am using the Eastern Electric Minimax Preamp (upgraded & modded by Tom Tutay of Florida) in one of my systems. The preamp is coupled with a McCormack DNA 0.5 Ultra-Platinum Power Amplifier upgraded by Steve McCormack and Kris Jeter of SMc Audio.

The EE Minimax sounds wonderful. It is also very sensitive to tube rolling, and tube variations can change it's voicing discernibly. As someone mentioned, so easy to listen to... so enjoyable, especially with the Tutay upgrades.

Hope this helps.

The Minimaxx I currently have in house (borrowed) has the full blown Tom Tutay mods:  upgraded p/s, caps, gain reduction, etc.  It really is VG and at its used price, I can't think of anything that beats it.  And yes, it is sensitive to tube rolling.......a good thing for flavoring and fine-tuning the sound.     

[jackman]

I don't own the 10A, a local buddy does.  I've heard it several times in my rig and a few times in his.  It always sounded VG to me, and its shortcomings never really became apparent till directly compared to others.  So it is not veiled on an absolute basis, but rather a relative / comparative one. 

Compared to YS in my rig, we both preferred the YS.  He borrowed the YS and compared it to 10A in his own rig.  He prefers the YS there too, so much so that he went out and bought a YS.  Couldn't comment on the 10A tubes, or its working condition.  He has owned it for a long time and rolled it quite a bit, so I assume he's using what HE thinks is good.

Maybe you would conclude and choose differently.     
Synergy, preferences, different strokes, and all that jazz.

I understand synergy plays an important role in how a preamp sounds in a system.  Also, it's understandable that we all have our own preferences but I can't imagine a 10A sounding veiled unless there was an equipment mismatch or dark sounding tubes.  IMO, it's like someone saying they don't like a Porsche 911 because the ride is too "soft". 

Will check out the YS sometime to see how it performs in my system.  The importer is about fifteen minutes from where I live and I will have to check to see if they will let me try a loaner. 

Cheers,

J

[Emil]

Looks like Pacific Valve is no longer selling the Ya A2. Seems you have to buy direct from Hong Kong

[jackman]

Looks like Pacific Valve is no longer selling the Ya A2. Seems you have to buy direct from Hong Kong

In that case, I will not try this one.  I would consider buying from a local importer but would not buy direct from overseas.  If something goes wrong, I prefer to have the ability to call the company owner on the phone (like I can do with Modwright, SAS, Salk, etc.) and getting it resolved, versus having to deal with someone overseas.  Lastly, although I will not compromise on performance or sonics, I prefer to buy made in the USA products when possible.   

[mhconley]

YS Audio's designer/owner/builder, Nelson Chui (aka Chui Yat Sang), is known for his prompt and open communication.  He'll even help you tweak the preamp if you are so inclined.  (i.e., take his A2 and bring it up to A2 SE or even higher levels.)  I have corresponded with him and would not hesistate buying directly from him in Hong Kong.

Martin 

[sunnydaze]

.....I can't imagine a 10A sounding veiled unless there was an equipment mismatch or dark sounding tubes.  IMO, it's like someone saying they don't like a Porsche 911 because the ride is too "soft". 

You are missing my point.  I said it was "relatively" veiled.  In other words, when compared to something else.

I think the SAS is very good, but you seem to be saying that there is not another preamp extant that is more open and transparent than the SAS.  Hard to accept.

[jackman]

You are missing my point.  I said it was "relatively" veiled.  In other words, when compared to something else.

I think the SAS is very good, but you seem to be saying that there is not another preamp extant that is more open and transparent than the SAS.  Hard to accept.

That's not what I said, but I've never heard the SAS called veiled in any other review.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion.  The 10A is not tubey or dark like some of the preamps you recommend, and I'm loving the level of detail and musicality it provides.  That's why I asked if it was modded or if it had NOS tubes, not the stock JJ's.  The stock JJ's are pretty detailed.   There are lots of preamps that are more detailed than the SAS, but that is not necessarily a good thing. 

Also, it's not hard to accept your statement but it's hard to believe someone would find this preamp veiled.   That's all. 

[kgturner]

Just to muddy the water a little more, there's a Supratek Chardonnay on A'gon for $1500 right now. If you're just looking for a linestage and no phono, the Chardonnay is fabulous. I used to own one but upgraded to Supratek's top tier linestage. From looking at the ad, it's difficult to tell if the unit comes with a remote control or not so that may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Good luck in your search.

Kevin T

[sunnydaze]

That's not what I said, but I've never heard the SAS called veiled in any other review.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion.  The 10A is not tubey or dark like some of the preamps you recommend, and I'm loving the level of detail and musicality it provides.  That's why I asked if it was modded or if it had NOS tubes, not the stock JJ's.  The stock JJ's are pretty detailed.   There are lots of preamps that are more detailed than the SAS, but that is not necessarily a good thing. 

Also, it's not hard to accept your statement but it's hard to believe someone would find this preamp veiled.   That's all.

Your tubey and dark is someone elses rich and musical and tonally accurate.

I'll say it once again......for the third time:

SAS does not sound veiled on an absolute basis, but I  heard it as comparatively veiled when compared to something else.

I actually like the SAS,  and agree with your assessment regarding its detail and musicality.  I'm simply reporting what I heard.  So you can keep parsing my words and splitting hairs and arguing this all you want.  It is not difficult to understand my meaning.  I am not the only one who heard it.  The owner (and big fan) of the SAS heard the exact same thing when comparing them, both in my system and in his own, and ran out to buy the YS after hearing it.

Whether, as you suggest, dark sounding tubes were installed or it was defective in some way, I have no idea.  Like I said earlier.

[sunnydaze]

.

[audiobat]

Sometimes I think we can drive ourselves off the road into the cornfield in this hobby.
Who stands behind Blueberries SAS's and EX things 5 or 10 years down the road. Not exactly a mainstream diet!
Now I don't care who you are that's funny right there, blueberries and diet, get it? 

[jackman]

Sometimes I think we can drive ourselves off the road into the cornfield in this hobby.
Who stands behind Blueberries SAS's and EX things 5 or 10 years down the road. Not exactly a mainstream diet!
Now I don't care who you are that's funny right there, blueberries and diet, get it?

This is funny!  Also, Blueberry is out of business.  I guess people don't eat as much fruit as they used to...

[jackman]

Your tubey and dark is someone elses rich and musical and tonally accurate.

I agree, but it's just hard to believe one person's detailed is another person's veiled.  These are two opposite ends of the spectrum.  If you said you didn't like it because it had too much detail, I would understand.  Calling the 10A veiled made me think there was something wrong with the preamp you claim to have tested.  That's all. 

[lonewolfny42]

Emil, I see you are local.  Stop by for a listen as I still have some of them.

Emil...

Take a trip to Long Beach (John's cool)....have a listen...take your time in your search.

[Triode Pete]

Emil...

Take a trip to Long Beach (John's cool)....have a listen...take your time in your search.

+1, absolutely!

Also, my $0.02... The Supratek preamplifiers sound very sweet; that's what Mikey C & Joe B use in their rigs... Very sweet!

Pete

[bside123]

Regarding and Eastern Electric Minimax preamp, I noticed this on Audiogon:

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/467922

Really... very hard to beat this price and performance. This listing includes the mods, tubes, PayPal fees and a Pangea power cord! Might be something to consider.  Maybe you could even get him to throw in the shipping!?