Interesting post uwbadger. I have a 5Se and like it very much. Am planning to sell in order to get a 2500 (I want to be all mc). I can't say the 5se sounds tubey but it does have a fast, rich sound and the sound stage is exact enough to place instruments and hear minute details which, to me, provides a really lifelike experience. Comparing it to the 2300/2500 is tough in my opinion. The 5se is fully balanced and is a bit quieter in my opinion. I've also heard that the 5se has a bit more bass but could not confirm this. Functionally, the 2300/2500 is superior with 2phono stages, digital inputs (2500), bass/treble controls etc. Both are great sounding preamps. If you want to go really tubey check out the 2200 which I found to have the warmest sound but also seemed to sound a little slower.
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