Preamp - last component for "new" rig

[stringdriventhing]

Well, it's been a long, long haul to get a revamped system up & running. Within the next 6-7 days I'll have my "new" (22-year old, refurbished Klipsch Chorus 2's) speakers, EE Minimax DAC, & Rogue Stereo 90 (used) all wired up and hopefully firing on most cylinders. The "missing piece", until I staunch the financial bleeding from this phase, is a dedicated preamp. I'll utilize the EE DAC, with its variable analog output & volume control, in the interim. My experience with the W4S DAC-2, serving as a preamp in my previous system, was that I felt a certain lack of drive & dimensionality in playback. The EE may or may not display the same tendencies but irregardless it is my intention to add a preamp ASAP. The current, two "top" contenders are the Mapletree 2A SE, with all the optional upgrades offered by Lloyd - including a remote volume control unit - and the Juicy Music Peach 2, if I can track one down. I suppose another option I would gladly consider would be a Modwright 9.0 if I could find a used one at the "right" price. I had a KWA-100SE in my previous system and really appreciated both how fine-sounding an amp it was and what a talented designer Dan is. Anyway, $1,500 is about what I'd consider the working budget and opinions will be gratefully received. Thanks, String

[rollo]

 You do have some options and have made some VG choices.  Other then stated check out Nightshade Audio.  Especially the Beacon 3 with tubed rectification. Or a custom Pre by nightshade for YOUR application.  Another alternative are Slageformers a passive with balls, Promitheus [ used] or Bent.
   Since the Klipshs have body and weight a passive may suffice in that scenario. Passives [ resistor based not trannie based] have been accused of being threadbare in some systems. However your components do have have that characteristic so your in if you like.
  If ya really want to try a wonderfull alternative Georges "lightspeed" passive using LDRs is a viable solution as well. my 2 cents.


charles
   

[evan1]

I would get in on the Niteshade tour. A very worthy pre for the money

[stringdriventhing]

Charles & Evan - thanks for your replies. I had no sooner posted the thread, BANG, I stumbled on the Niteshade preamp thread. I made a swing by the Niteshade website and while they don't yet have the Beacon 3 listed on their menu, there was some discussion over at AC, and between this and that my interest is piqued. My sentimental "favorite" at this point is the Mapletree, sentimental in that Lloyd strikes me as a genuinely nice guy I'd like to business with, and there's a certain funky, and I mean that in the best possible way, kind of visual appeal to his gear. Having said that, the downside is having to "shelve" and cable three separate chassis - preamp, power supply, and remote volume unit. The Niteshade, if it has remote volume as an option, and it's in a more practical single-chassis form factor, could very well surge into the lead. Thanks again for the suggestions. - String   

[eleazar]

Audiogon has one that just came up

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1306437959&/Mapletree-Line-2A-SE

[Carlman]

I truly respect the opinions of the AN community and have gotten a lot out of the discussions.
I wanted to comment a little about using reviews and forums to consider gear:
I'm always leery of whatever is hot at the moment.  IF money is a factor, listening to these preamps in your system is critical before buying.  The tour is a great idea. 

I've listened to so many pieces of gear that 'lots' of people liked in their systems.. that just didn't work for me.  I'm not saying any company doesn't have hot stuff, just that if it's hot to a few people on the internet it's almost never hot to me... BTW, when I say 'few' I mean, figure out who has actual ear-time on the gear and whether you know their tastes and room setup.  I have heard from lots of people that have heard lots of things... but try to figure out who has actual experience and it reduces the hype so you can get to the meat of what the equipment sounds like.

-C

[stringdriventhing]

Boy Howdy! The last piece of the puzzle falls into place, as I scored a Modwright SWL 9.0SE w/ tube rectification earlier today. It'll ship from back East on Monday and I should have it by the end of next week. Hopefully the Rogue amp will be back from repairs by then and I can finally get everything configured for the long haul, at least in theory. If the Klipsch Chorus 2's I've been nursing back to health don't float the old boat, I've got my eye wandering towards the Audiokinesis Rhythm Prisms as a backup solution. - String

[evan1]

Good score. I scored one last month.

[stringdriventhing]

Hey Evan - anything I should know going in? Have you indulged in any tube-rollin' yet, and if so, what do you have to report? My unit is coming with Tung Sol 5687's & Mullard rectifier tube so I PROBABLY don't have to swap tubes, but I PROBABLY will! Brent Jesse has an email awaiting him when gets to work this AM inquiring about Sylvania GB-5687's and I might look into the GE 7044, as these tubes garnered alot of positive comment as replacements in the Modwright. I'm also planning on dropping a line to Modwright to inquire about a volume remote update. I suspect my unit will arrive with one of the fairly clunky looking non-Modwright remotes. I'm also not convinced, yet, that the unit I purchased is a "full" Signature model, with Modwright caps & such. The tube rectifier was a must though and that's in place. It's a bit ironic that I sold my very fine KWA-100SE amp to help fund my system rebuild. - String 

[evan1]

I got mine with the tube rect. and upgrade remote. It didn't have the cap upgrade. They say the tube rect is the important one to get if you had to choose between the two.The tubes were also included with mine. I'm using  the Tungsols 5687 and the Mullard for the rect which sound great. He also gave me the Sylvania and stock Sovtek in addition to 2 more pairs of 5687's. I'm set on tubes. Did you buy the one that was on A/C a few days ago ?

[stringdriventhing]

Evan - I snatched it off of Audiogon. There were several Modwright preamps listed, including the new LS-100 which kinda surprised me. Would you happen to know if upgrading the remote involves internal modifications, or is it as easy as acquiring a new remote? I suppose if the unit arrives and does not have the Modwright caps, I might just send it up to Dan and have him bring it up to the latest specs. So, the Tung Sol 5687's are working well in your system? There were some folks, in an old Audiogon thread, discussing tube-rolling the SWL 9.0 and a handful felt the Tung Sols were a little hard & edgy in their systems.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1137723674&openusid&zzTvad&4&5

I'll let the Tung Sols have a chance but I'm already trying to track down the Sylvania GB-5687's as they're evidently few and far between. Good news is it's supposed to be a 10,000 hour tube so they'll fill the bill for a good while, IF I can find a pair. - String 

[evan1]

So, the Tung Sol 5687's are working well in your system? There were some folks, in an old Audiogon thread, discussing tube-rolling the SWL 9.0 and a handful felt the Tung Sols were a little hard & edgy in their systems.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1137723674&openusid&zzTvad&4&5

I'll let the Tung Sols have a chance but I'm already trying to track down the Sylvania GB-5687's as they're evidently few and far between. Good news is it's supposed to be a 10,000 hour tube so they'll fill the bill for a good while, IF I can find a pair. - String 

No problem with the tungsols. I couldn't tell from the Agon post if they had the tube rect upgrade done. I know that I compared it with the upgrade and without and the tube rect adds more warmth and weight to the sound. Night and day.

[rollo]

Evan - I snatched it off of Audiogon. There were several Modwright preamps listed, including the new LS-100 which kinda surprised me. Would you happen to know if upgrading the remote involves internal modifications, or is it as easy as acquiring a new remote? I suppose if the unit arrives and does not have the Modwright caps, I might just send it up to Dan and have him bring it up to the latest specs. So, the Tung Sol 5687's are working well in your system? There were some folks, in an old Audiogon thread, discussing tube-rolling the SWL 9.0 and a handful felt the Tung Sols were a little hard & edgy in their systems.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1137723674&openusid&zzTvad&4&5

I'll let the Tung Sols have a chance but I'm already trying to track down the Sylvania GB-5687's as they're evidently few and far between. Good news is it's supposed to be a 10,000 hour tube so they'll fill the bill for a good while, IF I can find a pair. - String 

 NOS Tungsols or new production being hard and edgy ?


charles

[tmazz]

Glad to hear that the last pieces are falling into place.You have been putting a tremendous amount of work into this system. It will be nice to finally fire everything up and get some tunes out of it.

[stringdriventhing]

Hey Charles, while there wasn't SPECIFIC mention of the version of Tung Sol 5687 they were objecting to being edgy in their systems, the balance of the thread contained discussion of NOS tube replacements for the Modwright. Is there even a current production TS 5687 being made? The A'gon thread is several years old and I'm not entirely sure the "new" Tung Sols were even in production yet. As is ALWAYS the case with these things, system synergy will dictate whether the Tung Sols are a winner for me or not.

Tom - thanks. Yes, it's now been in excess of a full year since I initiated a change in systems and the hardest work was coming to terms with the bad decision I made in dumping the old system in the first place. I allowed an audio dealer, whom I believed to be fully ethical, to convince me to invest in a very pricey and "cutting-edge" system that turned out to be a total bust. After eight months of the thing not working as promised, and a major back surgery looming, I threw in the towel. I insisted he take the damn thing back, and he did, after dinging me for around $2,500. Between that and the loss I took on selling components I then had to repurchase, I'll be lucky to come close to where I started in the first place. Live and learn, eh? - String