When I had my Spectron amps, the conventional thinking was to go with the Joule preamps. I really wanted one, though I've never heard one. One of the things that bothered me was some of the tubes they use are not available anywhere but from them. Not common tubes anymore. Yes, you could buy a few spares and their preamps are supposed to be very easy on tubes so they should last a long time. There are many loyal followers if you read the agon forums. I really should have tried one as I occasionally think about them. Their LA450ME is their fully balanced statement pre. If you are patient, they come around on "demo" for great prices. Let us know what you do.
Joe
|