Which preamp (coming from arc ref5se)?

[smodtactical]

Budget is about $6-7k. I like my ref5se but want something richer, warmer, more musical/euphonic. Thinking ET5? Or maybe one of the premier series, 17ls2 ? Amp is pass x350.8. Speakers atc scm7 and ns5000.

Thanks.

[admin]

First, welcome to CJO. Great to have you with us

That is a good budget to work with and opens the doors to many offerings.

You can get a brand new ET6 for that. Or a used ET7. This will keep in in the current line which should assure trouble free operation for a long time. That would be the way I go. Of course you can get vintage gear which there are many options but those would be older units. Nothing wrong with that, I'm still rocking a PV12!

[AnotherJohnson]

I dunno …

If you’re not happy with the fairly recent Ref 5SE, you really need to listen before you commit to something new.

Roberto went from a REF 5 to an ET7s1 and LOVED the change.

I am running an ET7s2 in one system and an LS28SE in another. Some say the LS28 SE is closer to the REF 6 SE than the REF 5 SE. I like both the ET7S2 and the LS28 SE, but my sense is that the LS28 SE is more detailed.

If you go back 25 years in the CJ or ARC catalogs, be careful about undisclosed mods or repairs. Listen before you commit if you can. Otherwise be sure to buy smart so that the tuition when you sell isn’t too harsh.

Good luck with your hunt.

[smodtactical]

Thanks guys.

[WPG]

I own an ET5 that I am using with a Belles 350A Reference Power Amp. The ET5 is a great preamp and you will be able to find an ET5 well below your given budget.

I think the ET5/Belles 350A combo works extremely well together. There are several reviews of the Belles amp that you may be able use to extrapolate its characteristics to your amp. Here is a link to the review that lead me to purchase my Belles 350A Reference Power Amp with a soft start.

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/reveq ... erence.htm

I have found that the ET5/Belles combo respond well to different tubes and to cables.

When I purchased my ET5 it had a Westinghouse 6922 tube in it. I never thought of tube rolling when I first got my ET5, everything was sounding great and the ET5 was a noticeable improvement over the PV15 that it replaced.

After years of good service the Westinghouse tube started to act up so I swapped out the Westinghouse with an EAT Cool Valve ECC88 Selected tube that I had purchased years ago. Wow, what a difference, I wish I had tried tube rolling sooner. The EAT tube provided a wider sound stage and everything was more clear and detailed.

After my initial experience with the EAT tube, my fear of not having another EAT as a backup tube started me to look for another EAT or a tube with similar characteristics. I could not find any EAT Cool Valve ECC88 tubes so I tried a NOS Amperex with great results and then a NOS Mullard made tube which will stay in the ET5. So far the NOS Mullard is my preferred tube for the type of music that I like to listen to; female vocals; acoustic rock/folk; classic rock; Americana/country; and blues.

I think your amp would work well with any of the CJ preamps in the ET line however the only way to know if the combo will give you what you are looking for would be to find a preamp that you could demo in your system. And try different tubes and cables if possible.

[AnotherJohnson]

Looking more closely at your current gear, a strong argument could be made that you are seriously over electronicked and under speakered. At retail you’ve got over $20k worth of amp and preamp and what most would consider a very modest set of speakers. I know … your system, your ears. But it’s worth a think. For $7k plus the trade value, I think you could get a pair of speakers that would show off the electronics you’ve already got. And … I think you could fall back in love.

FWIW, the guys who 60 years ago argued that speakers and phono cartridge were a huge part of what you hear were not idiots.

[AnotherJohnson]

OK … I’m not familiar with the NS5000. I assume this is the $15k Yamaha flagship?

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/yamaha-ns-5000

Maybe they’re capable and neutral. I don’t know.

I do think that you might still consider the speaker suggestion.

[admin]

Yeah, the NS5000 is a high end speaker for sure. Haven't heard that one in particular. Maybe about 10 years or so ago I was listening to a high end Yamaha. I don't recall which model. If memory serves, it was a very clear and neutral speaker. Wasn't my cup of tea, but I can definitely see why it would attract an audience. The NS5000 seems to be high quality and good engineering. Wouldn't mind getting a listen in on those.