Amp/Preamp Asylum

Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

Use this form to submit comments directly to the Asylum moderators for this forum. We're particularly interested in truly outstanding posts that might be added to our FAQs.
You may also use this form to provide feedback or to call attention to messages that may be in violation of our content rules.

You must login to use this feature.

Inmate Login

By default, logging in will set a session cookie that disappears when you close your browser. Clicking on the 'Remember my Moniker & Password' below will cause a permanent 'Login Cookie' to be set.

Moniker/Username: The Name that you picked or by default, your email. Forgot Moniker?	Examples "Rapper", "Bob W", "joe@aol.com".
Password:	Forgot Password?
	Remember my Moniker & Password ( What's this?)

If you don't have an Asylum Account, you can create one by clicking Here.

Our privacy policy can be reviewed by clicking Here.

Inmate Comments

From:
Your Email:
Subject:

Message Comments

Original Message

Re: Great Look!

Posted by AbeCollins on March 24, 2006 at 11:47:36:
I've had prior experience with the less expensive BAT VK30se, Conrad-Johnson PV14L and PV12, and the Audio Research LS16. The BAT was rich and robust but a little "dark" sounding to me. The CJs were a bit polite and not very tight or impactful in the bass... but very nice midrange. The ARC LS16 didn't have much over some of the SS preamps I've owned. It was very neutral yes, but to my ears, didn't have much tube character. It was also a little bit softer in the bass department than the SS preamps I've tried.
I auditioned the Cary SLP-98L and liked what I heard and based on what others have said about the SLP-05, I took a chance and ordered it.
The Cary SLP-05 offers a beautiful tube midrange sound with a bit of warmth but doesn't seem to give up in the areas of big dynamics, bass impact, and great treble extension and clarity w/o being "bright". So far even with the stock EH tubes, I'm liking it more than any other preamp I've owned. It also has a smoothness to it without sacraficing detail and it's transparent throughout.
.