Advice requested: Best Preamp for $1000

Spirit · « **on:** 13 Apr 2007, 01:36 am »

I own a pair of gorgeous Odyssey Mono Extreme Power Amps and would like to do justice to them by mating a Preamp.
Advice would be appreciated.
Tubes or SS? Passive or Active? Please give me reasons for your suggested choices.
Any gems at a great price out there?
One of the problems that we have in our hobby is actually getting gear into our hands to try without laying out the cash, so I sometimes I need to rely on the Golden Ears of fellow ACers.

TomS · « **Reply #1 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 01:45 am »

Well, you'd certainly want to include the Candela on your list. Slightly more $, but skip a few good meals out

.

Spirit · « **Reply #2 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 01:46 am »

Quote from: TomS on 13 Apr 2007, 01:45 am

Well, you'd certainly want to include the Candela on your list. Slightly more $, but skip a few good meals out .

Tom:
Do you have the Candela?

TomS · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 01:49 am »

Incoming "very, very soon" according to herr Klaus

I've heard it several times and liked it a lot.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 01:54 am »

Sam.....Speakers and source ?

Spirit · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:12 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 01:54 am

Sam.....Speakers and source ?

Hey Loner - how are you?
Gear:
Transport: Pioneer Elite Transport PD S95
Jitter: Camelot Dragon
DAC: Scott Nixon - new TD2
Speakers: Meadowlark Shearwaters with ScanSpeak 9700 tweeters
Cables: Anticables for speakers and IC, Luminous Allegro for Digital

Marbles · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:20 am »

Having heard most of the stuff you have, or close to it, I think that the Candella will be VERY synergistic with your other gear.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:23 am »

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 02:12 am

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 01:54 am
Sam.....Speakers and source ?
Hey Loner - how are you?
Gear:
Transport: Pioneer Elite Transport PD S95
Jitter: Camelot Dragon
DAC: Scott Nixon - new TD2
Speakers: Meadowlark Shearwaters with ScanSpeak 9700 tweeters
Cables: Anticables for speakers and IC, Luminous Allegro for Digital

Thanks Sam....doing....ok.

No remote but tube based....SAS 10A ....check used.
Now normally I'd say Modwright....but you don't want to spend more than $1,000.00....

This would get you close to it....works well with SS....and yes, I've had one here....and some photo's in my Gallery.

And the Candella would be a match as well....you'd have to spend a little more....

Chris

Spirit · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:28 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 02:23 am

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 02:12 am
Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 01:54 am
Sam.....Speakers and source ?
Hey Loner - how are you?
Gear:
Transport: Pioneer Elite Transport PD S95
Jitter: Camelot Dragon
DAC: Scott Nixon - new TD2
Speakers: Meadowlark Shearwaters with ScanSpeak 9700 tweeters
Cables: Anticables for speakers and IC, Luminous Allegro for Digital
Thanks Sam....doing....ok.

No remote but tube based....SAS 10A ....check used.
Now normally I'd say Modwright....but you don't want to spend more than $1,000.00....
This would get you close to it....works well with SS....and yes, I've had one here....and some photo's in my Gallery.

And the Candella would be a match as well....you'd have to spend a little more....

Chris

Chris:
A couple of questions:
1: I am not at all familiar with SAS. are the letters short for something? Can you elaborate a little on this unit.
2: Modwright - which model and why
3: What about all the posts about the Promitheus Passive? Are you familair with it?
thanks
Sam
PS: Hurry up and answer - I am off to the Montreal show in the morning!!!!

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:42 am »

Quote

Chris:
A couple of questions:
1: I am not at all familiar with SAS. are the letters short for something? Can you elaborate a little on this unit.
2: Modwright - which model and why
3: What about all the posts about the Promitheus Passive? Are you familair with it?
thanks
Sam
PS: Hurry up and answer - I am off to the Montreal show in the morning!!!!

1....http://www.sasaudiolabs.com/
2....Modwright SWL 9.0SE Tube Linestage Preamplifier....because it sounds good...

3....I've heard rollo's Promitheus....sounded ok....but I do prefer active/tubes...and I do own a Bent NOH....which is better than the Promitheus ....IMO.

Have a nice time at the show....listen to a lot of stuff....and take some photo's for me Sam....thanks.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:43 am »

Bring that cd to the show....

woodsyi · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 02:59 am »

I certainly do not need another preamp but this one is curious. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1181480895 Doesn't China claim that he can get Mingda/Meixing gear cheap? Anybody heard this one? As a discussion, what would be the advantage of using power tubes in a preamp?

Spirit · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 03:05 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 02:43 am

Bring that cd to the show....

Oh, you mean that I listen to every freaking day!!!!!
Especially Track 4 - Oh My Lord!!!!

Spirit · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 03:07 am »

Quote from: woodsyi on 13 Apr 2007, 02:59 am

I certainly do not need another preamp but this one is curious. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1181480895 Doesn't China claim that he can get Mingda/Meixing gear cheap? Anybody heard this one? As a discussion, what would be the advantage of using power tubes in a preamp?

Hi Woodsyi:
Pardon my ignorance but who/what is China?

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 03:08 am »

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 03:05 am

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 13 Apr 2007, 02:43 am
Bring that cd to the show....
Oh, you mean that I listen to every freaking day!!!!!
Especially Track 4 - Oh My Lord!!!!

Thats the one....enjoy the show.

woodsyi · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 03:19 am »

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 03:07 am

Quote from: woodsyi on 13 Apr 2007, 02:59 am
I certainly do not need another preamp but this one is curious. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1181480895 Doesn't China claim that he can get Mingda/Meixing gear cheap? Anybody heard this one? As a discussion, what would be the advantage of using power tubes in a preamp?
Hi Woodsyi:
Pardon my ignorance but who/what is China?

He is a gentleman who I think is honeymooning in China looking for possible "deals" he can arrange for us at AC. He posts now and then with his "finds."

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 03:23 am »

Quote from: woodsyi on 13 Apr 2007, 03:19 am

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 03:07 am
Quote from: woodsyi on 13 Apr 2007, 02:59 am
I certainly do not need another preamp but this one is curious. http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1181480895 Doesn't China claim that he can get Mingda/Meixing gear cheap? Anybody heard this one? As a discussion, what would be the advantage of using power tubes in a preamp?
Hi Woodsyi:
Pardon my ignorance but who/what is China?

He is a gentleman who I think is honeymooning in China looking for possible "deals" he can arrange for us at AC. He posts now and then with his "finds."

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=profile;u=40301 ....Ralph.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 04:36 am »

New, MapleTree (here) tube is insanely good, new around $600. Talk to Berndt about upgrades if you like. I'd consider this a truly great preamp, no remote option I know of. Don't know about drive current, check into it.

Used, search hard, the Primare remote SS is one of my favs, I think model is Pre30, they've made only one, the same model, for almost 8 years. Phantastic sound.

lazydays · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 04:49 am »

Quote from: Spirit on 13 Apr 2007, 01:36 am

I own a pair of gorgeous Odyssey Mono Extreme Power Amps and would like to do justice to them by mating a Preamp.
Advice would be appreciated.
Tubes or SS? Passive or Active? Please give me reasons for your suggested choices.
Any gems at a great price out there?
One of the problems that we have in our hobby is actually getting gear into our hands to try without laying out the cash, so I sometimes I need to rely on the Golden Ears of fellow ACers.

I have a pair of mon extremes very well broken in now (maybe 750 hours on them), and have a Candella preamp in front of them. Going to put it this way; Your going to have to spend a bunch more money to get a preamp that sounds that good. My Candella is maybe the third or fourth one shipped, and it's done nothing but astound people. It just seems to do it all. It's cleaner and faster than the Quicksilver it replaced (I knew this fifteen minutes after I placed it in my system). You notice the difference in the sound stage within 20 hours, and it just seems to go deeper into the music. When compared to my Conrad Johnson preamp, the first thing I noticed was the speed with which it took hold of the music. Everything seems to come at you harder and faster.
You hear things in the music that you just never paid attention to in the past. Things like that last octive during a tenor sax solo. Or the latest thing with me is the metalic shimmer of a pair of cymbals. I never heard that with the three tube preamps I had before, let alone the three solid state preamps as well. If you listen to small groups playing acoustic jazz, this preamp is a killer.
gary

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 Apr 2007, 07:20 am »

here's a Modwright SWL 9.0SE with Bybee filters for $1300:

http://sphl.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/buy_cl.pl?preatube&1181081438

I read on the Polk forum that the Candela was voiced with the mono extremes:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43666