the things I notice is preamps and amps can be lumped into two or three
catagories. I can still remember the very first "good" system I heard, and it was a Counterpoint preamp driving Bryston amps. The combo sounded pretty good, and completely different from what I was used to. Later I had the chance to set in front of the very same speakers being driven by a Conrad Johnson preamp and their ST 140's. Needless to say I could really tell a difference in the sound quality. I knew right then and there that I was moving into a new direction (tubes), and it would be hard to compete with what I heard. At the time I was using an Accuphase amp & preamp, but it wasn't even slightly competetive with the other. So It was life with one tube amp after another and several tubed preamps. Still every once in awhile I'd do a reality check with a couple solid state amps tucked away in my closet. About once a year I'd do this check, and maybe a couple other amps to boot. The one thing I did notice was that the amps (new stuff) all seemed to be getting smoother and somewhat closer to that tube sound I became so endeared with. But the solid state preamps all still suck. (rather blunt I know) The ones that were smooth tended to be somewhat dark and cloudy. But the tube preamps just seemed to be getting better. So later I got on this tangent to finally go with a pair of Maggies and some real horse power to drive them. Narrowed it down to three amps (knew I was shopping for mono blocs). First was the Pladium, and the Plinius right behind them and the McCormick after that. Later on I heard all the fuss about some new Odyssey amps that were a "must hear." Some felt they were right in there with the first two, and maybe better. (that's tall ground). I had heard several Krell amps in the past, and they were OK at best (liked the Accuphase better). Anyway I picked up a pair of mono blocs off of the Audiogon for about $1550 with the Gronenburg cables. From there they sat at the top of my stairway just gathering dust (it's pretty hard to go back to solid state once your in tube groove). While I had them I took offers all the way out to $2000, but I didn't sell them. Instead I called the guys that built them (keep in mind I've still never heard them), and asked about a major tune up as my tube amp was going south in a hurry. The conversation went from checking them out to upgrading them, and the rest is history. They got back to me in about ten days,
and I hooked them up into my HT system speakers. Then just played them 24/7 for about three weeks. Every two or three days I'd set down an listen to them, and finally after three weeks I put a Conrad Johnson preamp in front of them. I was stunned! What I heard was the Accuphase sound but much more transparent. About that time my sons dropped by, and they all felt they were a winner. Later I tried several other preamps (both solid state and tubed). The results were rather mixed with some sounding horrible at best! So I then put them into my main downstairs system being driven by a Quicksilver linestage preamp. Now I liked this! Wasn't as slick as the CJ, but still the sound was to die for. I played this system with about anything I could muster up. Then Klaus sent me an email telling me he had a preamp for me. And did he have one. It reduced my Quicksilver to a doorstop status in about fifteen minutes! (I'm serious). But it just seemed to get better with age. I did chase about an octive and a half for close to a month, but oneday it was right there in my lap. The system now has the feel of a good tube amp, but is faster with huge amounts of presense. Still in the meantime I was looking at some speakers and a new SACD player at one of the audio dealers near me. They were using Krell amps, and I thought they were a little light weight and maybe slightly bright. But my youngest kid flat out told Roy that my amps would blow those amps away (funny thing is Roy has asked me about a half dozen times about them since).
Now I don't know if I'll forever stay with the solid state amps in the future (I still have the eternal love affair with tubes), but the ones I have will be around for while. I cannot see me going to a solid state preamp anytime during the rest of this lifetime. To be exact I don't even think about it. Everyone that has heard it loves the sound, but I keep pointing out to them that they are missing the most important parts. The sound stage (well my brother did catch that part).
is a killer. I can set down and pin point everybody's position on the stage, and much of the time know if it's got it right.
My best friend dropped by one day last fall, and he was stunned with what he heard. He went home and drug out his Techniques turntable (I gave him a good solid state phono stage). The next day he comes over with the boss at his house, and he asked my to play something on the turntable. She then walked over and handed me this Toscanini boxed set. As she sat there listening I could see a tear in her eyes. Asked her if she was OK, and she just smiled. Turned out that her Grandfather played with Toscanini for many years, and she grew up listening to that stuff. She said it was right there! So now I think Larry is going to be getting something similar to what I have (quick as the comptroller releases the money). Just for the look on her face was the perfect selling point.
She has a birthday coming up, and I plan on giving her that Toscanini boxed set.
gary
