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Any ideas?
Thanks
Follow Ups:
The BC21 uses 2 6SN7's so it's easy to change tubes and experiment when you are ready. No circuit boards, all point to point wiring. Sounds like heaven in my system.
Echoing Eli's suggestion below...Even if you are a little trepid with regards to DIY, Doc Bottlehead will build you a foreplay preamp for slightly higher cost. You might even be able to cajole him into adding some boutique parts, etc...Moreover there is also the Grounded grid from transcendent audio, available DIY or fully built. There is also the Wright Sounds preamp which is about $800 and uses 6SN7's and is supposedly fantastic as well. The 6SN7 is a good sounding tube. There are better, but this is far better than many other miniature 9 pin tubes. I personally would try to stay away from Big Name companies as they don't offer the value that these smaller companies (read above) offer, and far, far, far, better sound quality.
Just take your time and look around...
All the best,
AnandR.
If you get this pre-amp which uses a quad of 6sn7 you should be able to taylor the sound to your liking.I use a Rogue 99 Magnum, with one of three quads that each sound different.
I like the 6sn7 but if you could find a pre-amp that uses the 6sl7 you should be in great shape.
CJ PV10 new; or PV8, PV9, or PV12 used. I've owned the PV10 and 12, and they sound wonderful and are very reliable.
Regards, Jerry O.
Ron,Very subjective. The possibilities are numerous. What amp, speakers, and cables are you using? And, how do you like your music to sound?
I use a Conrad Johnson PV-5 all tube preamp with a B&K ST-140 amp driving Magneplanar MG-12 loudspeakers, when I'm not using my prized Jolida 502a integraded amp. I find the sound very revealing, yet never harsh. Lush, but not overly warm. And, extremely musical, with outstanding tonal qualities (the kind I like, anyway).
It really depends on what you're after. Let us know.
wpm
I am currently using a Bryston 1b preamp and a 3b-NRB amp with Thiel 3.5's, and Axon interconnects and cables. Some suggest a Classe pre to give a more musical sound, (ffor solid state) but I have heard Audio Research stuff that sounded incredible, but alas I could not swing it.
Ron,Again, I must clarify how it is you want your music to sound? Without an accurate description of the type of sound you are looking for, i.e. warmer, brighter, forward soundstage, laid-back soundstage, etc., any preamp suggestion can only be generalized. Let's put it this way, what is it about your current systems sound that you wish to improve on/change?
I have used numerous tube preamps in the last 25 years, so I have pretty good knowledge of how many of them interact with the rest of a system to alter/talor sound.
As mentioned earlier, I use a Conrad Johnson PV-5 with a B&K ST-140. With this set-up I was trying to achieve a particular sound. Had I wanted a different sound, I may not have used a PV-5.
Sometimes it's just not as simple as recommending a popular brand. A certain synergy can be obtained if one knows where to look. Fact is, some brands just simply don't work with others no matter how good a review they received.
I'd still be happy to offer you my assistance, just let me know what you want hear.
wpm
wpm
I should have said earlier, but I am seeking a little more musicality/liguidity from the system. If I said it was bright now I would be overstating the case, but I am seeking a little warmth without sacrificing dynamics. (Don't you love audio adjectives?)I don't want a drastic change, I think the liquidity description best states what I'm looking for. Perhaps my system is slightly "clinical" now.
Thanks
Ron,You have some very good components. However, what I think you are experiencing with your sound, is a slight mis-match. Or, to put it another way, your system may be erring towards the brighter side of neutral.
Brystons are very clean sounding amps. Powerful yes, but very clean and detailed. I hesitate to say they are cold, which they are not, but I have never found them to offer the kind of warmth, compared to, say, what a B.E.L. 1001 or Rowland Research Model 1 can offer. Thiels are very resolving speakers, and have a tendency to tilt upwards when matched with cooler sounding equipment. Put the two together, and what you get is a very exacting, and somewhat wanting of a little warmth, sound.
You never mentioned what source you are using. So, assuming it has a neutral sound characteristic, it too, will not lend itself to any added warmth, either.
Can you see where this is going? I find this to be the biggest reason audiophiles grow tired of their systems, sell them off, and start over. Not that any one of their components is bad by itself, they're just bad when combined.
My personal opinion is that buying another preamp, tube or otherwise, is not going to get you 100 percent where you want to go. Sure, an all tube or class a preamp will warm things up a bit, but I feel your amp speaker relationship is going to be the stronger force working against you. I would suggest you start by making a change in that direction first.
Because Theils can also be power hungry, dipping into low ohm territory, the choice of amps is going to be narrow when it comes to combining warmth with power (at a reasonable cost). The Aragon 4004 comes to mind as a good alternative to your Bryston. It has plenty of jucie to drive your 3.5s, but will offer the added warmth that your Bryston is missing. If pinching pennies is your thing, then the B&K EX-442 would also do a nice job, as well. Though it will be much harder to find than the Aragon. If absolute sound volume is not an issue, the 60 watt Rowland model 1 I mentioned earlier is a wonderful amp, if more costlier than the others.
The thing we are trying to do here, is put together components that complement each other, and not add to their individual characteristics. Warm amps, with neutral to coolish speakers usually combine to produce an even tonal balance (generally speaking). From there, if you want to change the sound to either a cooler or warmer tone, the preamp will factor in. Once that amp/speaker relationship has been established, and the combination renders a basically neutral sound, a good quality, all tube preamp can add just the right amount of euphony to give you that liquidity you desire. I must say, the sound of my PV-5 ST-140 combination is like having sweet, golden honey poured all over me!
I could go on and on, sighting endless combinations of equipment, but I think I have pointed you in the right direction. As long as the components are not all the same (relatively) sounding, system synergy can be attained. Keep your source as neutral as possible, too. Because it will factor-in the final equation, dependinging on which way you want the sound to go.
One final thought, and a so often forgotten one. Your room can play as big (if not bigger) part in your systems sound as the equipment itself. Bright sounding equipment, in a cold, sterile room, will have disasterous effects, and send you running for the doors holding your ears. Alternatively, warm sounding equipment in a heavily damped room, can sound overly dull and lifeless. Check your room out, and make adjustments as necessary.
Please, feel free to write me direct if you have any specific concerns. I will be happy to lend assistance.
wpm
Bryston makes good "sand" amps. Your unit will definitely benefit from the improved soundstaging and midrange a tube preamp provides.You could test the tube waters at LOW cost. The Foreplay kit preamp from AA sponsor Bottlehead Corp. (www.bottlehead.com) costs $150 in the basic variant and about 2X that amount with all the "bells and whistles". The Foreplay is the BEST VALUE available in a tubed line stage. A fully tricked out Foreplay is stiff sonic competetion for units with 4 figure retail price tags.
If DIY is something you don't want to get involved with, an AVA (www.avahifi.com) FET-Valve hybrid preamp in the SL chassis at $1059 is something you should consider acquiring. I am a FET-Valve preamp owner/user. IME/IMO the FET-Valve sounds very good driving both tube and SS power amps. The FET-Valve has superior drive capability and a very low O/P impedance; there are no interfacing problems with a FET-Valve as there are with some tube preamps. BTW, that price includes an in chassis headphone amp.
Eli D.
I have a Conrad Johnson PV10AL driving a pair of ASL Wave's in my study. I've always like the PV10AL. Simple, warm, detailed, quiet.
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