Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Supratek Triode Syrah Preamplifier (Tube) by Willie The Squid

Model:	Syrah
Category:	Preamplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$2500 (Increase Pending)
Description:	Full-Function Tube Preamplifier with Transformer-Coupled Output and MC Phono Stage Based on Loesch Design
Manufacturer URL:	Supratek Triode
Model Picture:	View

Review by Willie The Squid ( A ) on January 30, 2003 at 14:56:14
IP Address: 146.129.54.217

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I purchased my Syrah directly from Mick Maloney (one man factory) in Perth, Australia. I have had it in my system about ten months. It has only been listened to in the context of my “main” system.

I had never heard a Syrah or any other Maloney designed / manufactured equipment when I ordered. It was a leap of faith. However, I had been acquainted with his web site for a couple of years (where he displayed and commented upon various amp and pre-amp designs he had experimented with). More importantly, certain Inmates here at AA were over-the-top raving about this relatively inexpensive, full featured pre-amp called the Syrah.

All my communications with Mick were by email. I ordered my unit in antique copper. I consider the unit good looking, but nothing special. Interestingly, guests to my home think it’s fabulous looking. What do I know?

I also requested two modifications from the standard Syrah. First, I wanted a “balance” control – to overcome an “out of balance” cartridge or to compensate for “out of balance” amplification channels. Mick put a little balance control on the back of the control unit. Interestingly, I have not much used this feature. Second, I requested a stereo / mono switch. I listen to a fair amount of music that was engineered with hard left / hard right pan (typically from the early days of stereo recording) and I prefer to listen in mono rather than the hard left / hard right configuration. The mono blend that Mick designed into my Syrah is truly superb, and I love this feature.

There was a “cost” associated with the two modifications I requested. My particular unit does not have a tape monitor function. Otherwise, Mick built my unit for his then standard price. The preamp was delivered approximately 2 months after I made my order.

The Syrah is comprised of two units: a separate power supply unit and the main control unit. Power supply unit has a single 5AR4 / GZ34 tube on top, transformers and other electronics underneath. Main control unit has a pair of 5881 voltage regulator tubes. For line level amplification, the unit uses a pair of 6SN7GT tubes into parafeed output transformers. For the phono stage, the unit uses a moving coil version of Arthur Loesch's phono design using a combination of FETs and 417/5842 tubes, which feed a pair of battery biased 6GK5 tubes. This phono section has incredible gain and is very quiet. My Goldring Eroica high output 2.5mv cartridge had too much output for this phono section. I changed to the Goldring Eroica low output .5mv cartridge and it’s a fine match. This pre-amp section can easily handle still lower output cartridges.

The unit comes factory supplied with mostly Russian tubes. I didn’t listen to them very long before I started tube rolling, so I cannot say how good the stock tubes may have sounded after several hundred hours of running in. I’ve subsequently experimented with a variety of tubes at almost every position. The following is what I'm currently using: Mullard 5AR4 rectifier, TungSol 5881 voltage regulators, RCA 6SN7GT gray glass line stage, Western Electric 417s and RCA 6GK5s in the phono stage. (By reputation both the 417/5842 and 6GK5 tube types are difficult to manufacture, with noise and microphonics being thorny issues; thus, with the high gain in the Syrah’s phono section, getting quiet tubes is important.)

How’s the Syrah sound? Just wonderful…amazing…beautiful…musical.

Maybe the better question is, “how does it not sound?” This question is not merely rhetorical, because more than any other amplification device I’ve owned in the past 30 years, it “gets out of the way.” This is instantly apparent with regard to dynamics. Unit is dead quiet, and at both the micro and macro level, dynamics are unrestrained with astonishing “jump factor.” I’ve never heard anything like it outside of live feed professional studio monitoring. If the source has it in the grooves or in the “bits”, the Syrah lets it pass. With the Syrah, harmonics sound “right”…the unit does not sound electronic, it does not sound rich, it does not sound anything…except “right.” Images are appropriately sized…from intimate to huge. Extension is without limit. Everything is in balance and so, so musical…turn it on and forget about it.

A quick story: When I first received the unit, there was to my ear a fair “difference” between the sound of the line stage and the sound of the phono stage. I liked the sound of each, but was surprised how different they sounded from one another. The initial impression as the unit was running in that first couple of months was that the line stage was more robust, with substantial weight and greater artificiality (from the CD redbook digital – first the Naim CD3, then an unmodified Sony ES9000). The phono stage was “quick-silvery” fast, almost “brilliantly” transparent, utterly coherent, and perhaps a little lightweight on the bottom…but my toes were never so busy tapping….

So over the next several months the Syrah continued to “run in” and I finalized my tube selections. Moreover, I sent that Sony ES9000 to Dan Wright in Portland, Oregon and had him implement his level III mods so that I (hopefully) would have a real opportunity to hear what very good redbook and near state of art SACD would sound like.

Well, the mods were transformative of the ES9000; and ever after, when comparing very good vinyl with SACDs, there is almost no difference in the presentation and sound. Those initial “differences” between the Syrah’s line stage and phono stage had much more to do with limitations of my upsteam sources than differences inherent in the preamp. Getting the unit properly run in with the right tubes also played its part.

Redbook CDs can also sound very good, but they are rarely as involving and/or captivating. Probably the best vinyl still sounds “more convencing” than SACDs. Neverthless, whatever difference in sound or presentation does exist, it is not meaningful in terms of my experience of musicality. The Syrah communicates SACD and phono sources with tremendous fidelity, impact, and musicality. I have no expectation nor any interest in something “better.”

At $2,500 U.S., plus shipping, for a hand built Syrah pre-amplifier, Mick Maloney has got to be offering the single best deal going in ultra high end amplification.

Product Weakness: See review
Product Strengths: See review

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	SunAudio SV300B MKII PP Monoblocks - 20 wpc
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	n/a
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony ES9000 modded; Roksan Xerxes, Rega 900, Goldring Eroica
Speakers:	Tannoy System DMT15 MK II 98db efficient
Cables/Interconnects:	Silver Sonic
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Acoustic
Room Comments/Treatments:	See main system
Time Period/Length of Audition:	10 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS 300 on sources and Syrah
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	See review
Product Strengths:	See review