I don't think your issue should be a stock TP and a tubed preamp versus a MWTP. The MW has no trace of its old analog section. This has been replaced with an entirely new analog output stage. If you use a tube preamp on a stock TP, you will merely send that original analog signal to your amp. Any flaws that the TP has will be processed through your system and sent to your speakers. Tubes or not, any shortcomings will remain. I've read on some posts that the MWTP just has some tubes stuck in it and that's that. Some posters were quite outraged at the $2000 charge for such a simple and needless mod.
The mod is extensive. I'm not an engineer but it seems a lot of work went into this thing. This is more than sticking some tubes in a box and charging 2 grand for it. The inside was sparse pre mod and very jam packed post mod. The original was very light. The mod is heavy. A monster transformer was installed, new RCA outputs (the old ones are still there but disconnected). Of course there is other circuitry as well as some tubes. My point is this: The MWTP is sonically a new and improved unit. Using a tube preamp to mask the original TP may not bring you hifi euphoria. Both of my systems are tubed and the stock TP was somewhat thin in the bottom 2 or 3 octaves, slightly tizzy in the top octaves, a bit short on macro dynamics and a smaller and shallower sound stage in both systems. The MW was an improvement in every way. Though I don't have a stock TP anymore I can't recall a single thing that was better than it is now. I doubt a tube preamp would fix these things. I may even get a 2nd MW for my other system. I don't want to get stock TP owners in a snit, but these are my observations. Two more things: Mod or not both units went through a looong breakin period. And I might get another MW for my 2nd system. -- dtz ------------------------------------------------------------------------ dtz's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15444 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=48488 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
