[DavidS]

I have a Mark II Bella Extreme amp.  I have it matched with a stock Audio Note M2 preamp.  Have had some tube problems with the Audio Note so while waiting for new tubes I have had a little home made passive preamp (basically a volume control) feeding my Bella and the sound is at first different but I kind of prefer it - almost less cluttered, cleaner.  This is a less than $100 in parts preamp vs. a $3,000+ new preamp and so wondering if anyone is using one of the well reviewed production passives - placette, bent, promethious, etc with their response audio amp.  I have good quality sources (Bill built me a M2 Dac that I run with a squeezebox plus Modwright cd player) so thinking my preamp needs to mostly just get out of the way vs adding to the mix.  Bill what has been your experience matching preamps with your Bella amps?

David   

[Bill Baker]

Hi David,
 Maybe what you are experiencing is the warmer nature of the associated Audio Note components? I obviously cannot name all the preamps that customers are using with this amp as we have several hundred of them out there but to drop a few names: ModWright 9.0SE and 36.5, Reference Ming-Da MC-7, Conrad Johnson, Promitheus Audio passive, Audio Note Custom M2 and lots more.

 There is a large number of AC member that have this amp so let's hope they will chime in with their arrangements and comments.

 Right now, I am running two 3205 amplifiers with one being fed by our new Musicale phono preamp (Mundorf power supply and Silver/Oil coupling capacitors) and the other is our latest Purity linestage. The Musicale is a tad warmer and fuller than the Purity which is very fast, articulate and livelier in comparison. Not that the Purity is better just a different voicing. In the system using the Purity preamp, I am running the AN Custom DAC 2.1 Deluxe with Mundorf Silver/Oil capacitors. I am getting ready to change the transformer in the DAC but when I'm done, I have two Audio Note transports here to play with, the CDT Two MK II and CDT Three MK II

 I too will be interested in hearing from other 3205 owners on what preamps they are using.

[Macezeke]

Hi, David.

I use an AES AE-3 MK II preamp with one of Bill's 3205 MK I Signatures. I also used a Headamp GS-1 headphone amplifier as a pre until I got the AE-3. In both instances, I found the presentation slightly warm but very open without a hint of congestion. But the AE-3, with NOS Tung-Sol 6SN7GTBs and an NEC 5AR4 rectifier, delivers a better sense of the acoustical space around performers and the venue within which they're playing. IMHO, the AE-3 Mk II is woefully underrated as a pre-amp and is a great match for the 3205.

Mac

[billc]

I have run the Signature Ming Da MC-7 into the 3205, and have also tried the ModWright SWL 9.0SE. 

I like the slight power boost that the active preamp provides, but it needs to be very clean. 

For this reason I thought the ModWright performed better than the Ming Da, which seemed to exaggerate the tube aspect of the 3205 sonic signature a bit, rather than stay neutral and get out of the way, and let the 3205 do its stuff (which is what the ModWright did)! 

There are other clean active preamps out there that might be explored.  Since I have no direct experience I will not suggest anything, but the bit of volume boost and dynamic boost that is provided by a good clean active preamp is not a bad thing with the 3205 (depending on speaker efficiency, of course).  Just my two cents.  Bill's 3205 has a very musical and clean sound, and what I would be careful about would be disturbing that balance with an overly tubey preamp.  Also, with a tube preamp, tube rolling can make a considerable difference. 

Bill can likely mod the AN M2 (I believe, check with him) to improve its output, without disturbing its overall sound.

Last, but not least, my experience with my ASL Hurricanes has been that the 6SN7 tube variants and makers are associated with significant differences in the sound provided by that tube.  I have found many of the Sylvania's to be highly microphonic, even though being desired chrome dome types and other valuable early versions.  If going with NOS 6SN7s it is a good idea to have then evaluated for microphonics.  What I have read about the AN M2 suggests that it should provide a very clean sound, somewhat similar to the ModWright, and be an excellent augment to the 3205 (once set up properly).  Let us know how this works out !

Bill C