I had a g2g this past weekend. We had five really nice preamps that all played a stint. I have a picture of all five in my rack but I haven't dumped the camera, I'll do that soon.
In order from cleanest to pfat-est they were: Dodd Battery Preamp, Modwright 36.5 DM, Red Wine Isabella, Lamm LL2 Deluxe, and Wyetech's recently revised Jade.
The rest of the system was my Rega/Lessloss digital rig, Red Wine 70.2 and Behringer amps to my Zu Definition 2 speaks.
Two of the guys liked the Dodd and Modwright best. They're both planar guys and had never heard my system before. The Dodd is as clean and clear a window as I can imagine a tubed preamp being. Think "good solid state", with a little 3D enhancement. I didn't find it edgy or offensive but it didn't contribute that extra tubular luv that I look for either.
The Modwright is an insane resolution machine. It runs to the lean side
in my system but if you're not looking for pfat-sound, triode contributions from the preamplifier it's sublime. I said right off the bat and it remains true, I've never heard such stage depth as it provides. It paints the back corners with clear pictures of what's happening with even minor players. If you run tube amps, this might be the ultimate preamplifier choice.
The Isabella is near neutral and noticeably quiet. It sounds like there's less between the notes, like a removal of noise. All the preamps were dead quiet at the listening seat, the noise removal isn't of static grunge but a kind of stripping away just a little of every sound. What is removed is a seeming electronic haze that isn't noticeable until it's removed. Going back to the other preamplifiers doesn't make them seem to have it either but the Isabella definitely does not. I did not perceive any part of the primary instrumentation nor harmonics had been lost in the process. It's very compelling yet definitely more matter-of-fact than I usually like since the rest of my rig is solid state and "down the middle". It has a gain switch - 0 or 12 db, I have been using it in 0 db mode where it acts as a current buffer. It is very extended at both ends and very dynamic in my system. Jeff at Tone found it somewhat dynamically flat in his big rig but not in mine - it plays huge here.
The Lamm is in my all-time hall of fame no matter what comes after. It's incredibly musical, doesn't tip into mush, and retains good resolution though I definitely thought the Isabella and Modwright were better there. I'm not sure about the Dodd though it seems like it should have been more resolving. I find the balance between these qualities to be very pleasing and think it's a great value at the new price. At used prices it's one of the best deals in audio.
The Wyetech is a significant step further into Big Tube sound. It's more toward the old school, big big tone, diminished leading edges and spatial effects. It has persuasive, elegant treble and bass slammage is terrific. The voicing borrows what was good about vintage tube sound but adds jump factor, frequency extension, and a modern spin. It makes big, gutsy sound and is an absolute kick to hear.
The same guys that brought the Dodd also brought Genesis G60 tube monos. I flirted with using them for the shootout but felt they were more colored than the RWAs and would have inserted more of their own character into the mix. Also there was a level matching concern with the subs. Had we used these amps or the 45 SET amp I really want the Modwright could easily have come out #1 for me in the comparison.
One thing I should have noted before - I heard the Dodd for a total of 40 minutes with mostly music I don't know. I currently own the Modwright and feel strong about the assessments there. I've had the Wyetech on review loan for about three weeks and have a decent handle on it. The Isabella showed up last week and is still showing subtle signs of burn-in.
It was really fun. I have everything dialed in well enough now that the differences between the preamps really are night-and-day. There aren't any weird frequency anomalies, reverberant modes, digital nasties, or anything else that obscures. I guess the system is pretty neutral that way so that any one piece can tip it in either direction. Most of the guys were already familiar with the system and didn't have to acclimate. We all had a gas.
I wasn't paying attention to it at the time but looking back I believe every single one of the preamplifiers was somebody's favorite.
Hey, this is post # 2000!
