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Re: Best Preamp for Quad II/ESL-57

195.93.21.66

Posted by andy evans on October 2, 2006 at 06:28:32

In Reply to: Best Preamp for Quad II/ESL-57 posted by gunnar on October 1, 2006 at 16:30:57:

Looks like you want clarity. I make my own stuff, so can't help with ready made products, but I can say which valves I find have clarity. Unfortunately none are commercially available. First choice would be directly heated triodes or DHTs - they have great clarity and openness. DIY builder are using them these days, but there's no new production so virtually zero commercial products.
After that, in the indirectly heated triodes, I like ECC40. Again an obsolete valve. Closest is the E80CC which can sound good in some preamps which can take it instead of 12AU7 (note higher heater draw and taller tube)
After that, you could get somewhere with a 6J5 based preamp, and put in 6P5GTs. Failing that I guess a 12B4 or 6SN7 based preamp. Most commercial products use the 12A*7 series or the ECC88/6922 and frankly I don't care for any of them. Myself I use DHTs - huge difference.

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