[jujulio]

Hi, i am new to this, i already have my HD 650 and an old marantz receiver (2225l); i don't have my zero DAC (gonna do the franken mod) yet, neither my future ss amp (graham slee novo or gd-audio C2C i think)...and i am already planning ahead to get a tube preamp

...I found this DIY
http://www.sdinfo.com/volume_5_4/99$preamplifier.html
Did anyone try this? I really want a cheap solution but effective nonetheless, therefore the DIY...

PS: given this "future setup" would you say i would get to the level where stock cable swapping might be useful for my senn? From what i read the silver dragon might be the thing for me.


thanks

 

[JadeEast]

That page is going on 10 years old.
The company is now called bottlehead.
Bottlehead.com

 

[jujulio]

mhhh around the 500$ zone....i don't get it, the article i posted stated 99$...or was it just an upgrade kit???

 

[Tridacnid]

Well, that was before inflation, and they have probably upgraded the kit over the years. And they have decent brand recognition around here, so it adds up.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Prices went up, you found an old page. If you're amenable to sourcing your own parts and building or repurposing a case, you can pull off a quality preamp for $200-$300. Another kit that might interest you is Bruce Rozenblit's Grounded Grid Preamp that can be found at his Transcendent Audio site. It's also $500. You can go the used route, too. Older Conrad-Johnson preamps sell between $300-$400. Admittedly, I've got a Conrad-Johnson PV-2 in the FS Forum right now. That aside, you can find others at eBay and Audiogon at good prices. I love it, but I use the Zana and Yph phono stage these days, so the PV-2 has been gathering dust.

Don't worry about the cables, invest in quality gear first. I put a Blue Dragon on my HD-650; I don't hear any difference. It is a nice cable, but it is more like fancy jewelry than something that changes the sound. My opinion, of course.

 

[jujulio]

Thanks Erik, i will have to wait anyway regarding my finances ^^ But i was thinking of feeding a bit my hd 650 with tube rather than only SS, since so many report this combination as audiogasmic for thi headphone