# New BHK pre-amp...wow **URL:** \ **Category:** Preamplifiers\ **Created:** [April 13, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707 "2018-04-13T21:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kcleveland123](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/kcleveland123/32/45645_2.png) [@kcleveland123](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kcleveland123)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/84 "2019-04-20T18:06:57Z")
Regular old Redbook CDs with the BHK and DS DAC are absurdly great. I wouldn’t have believed this was possible from standard resolution recordings but if properly mastered it’s magic. ---
**Author:** ![darrenv1070](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/darrenv1070/32/270293_2.png) [@darrenv1070](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/darrenv1070)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/85 "2019-04-20T18:39:39Z")
Are you speaking from personal experience? ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/86 "2019-04-20T18:45:35Z")
you betcha. got the 3.6R’s. was using a Bryston 4B3. Just up’ed the ante, and going with the 14BSST2. with 600 watts per side. should arrive on Wednesday. looking forward to it. Sully ---
**Author:** ![j1hampton](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/j1hampton/32/17705_2.png) [@j1hampton](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/j1hampton)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/87 "2019-04-20T18:52:35Z")
Brodric, you’re absolutely right if you hear a “loud” schiff, and I told my dealer it would be a deal breaker, but from 1st minute, I felt the tactile experience of the volume dial was ultra high quality with a pleasurable resistance and almost silent until 23 & 53 when soft click can be heard. For me this was a non issue and after hesitating to buy on this issue, I now see it not only as a non issue, but the damn volume control is amazing. As said here by others, going Balanced may help, or perhaps it’s characteristic of different units, always good to consult PSA. ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/88 "2019-04-20T19:08:38Z")
hi folks. i took the plunge. sold my Aesthetix Calypso. bought a BHK preamp. It should arrive Wednesday. pretty exciting times in the listening room! As I wait, i’m running my Direct Stream Sr straight into amp. Loaded question, and lots of thread already on this - but should I be looking for NOS tubes - or stick with the stock tubes for awhile? cheers! ---
**Author:** ![kcleveland123](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/kcleveland123/32/45645_2.png) [@kcleveland123](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kcleveland123)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/89 "2019-04-20T19:22:14Z")
Obviously a very personal / taste decision but I took the advice of many and bought Amperex 7308 tubes from Upscale Audio. Way better than stock in my opinion. Liked them so much I bought a backup pair. ---
**Author:** ![brett66](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/brett66/32/92201_2.png) [@brett66](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/brett66)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/90 "2019-04-20T19:22:41Z")
Run the stock tubes for a hundred hours at least. The components need time and you’ll have a baseline then to work from. Don’t be afraid to swap the stock tubes left for right and if they’re not a good match, ask for another set. The headphone amp needs it’s own break-in. It uses the tube front end but has it’s own output. I would think this is obvious but don’t give up the HP amp, give it a few hundred hours. Bascom knows his HP amps. ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/91 "2019-04-20T19:22:50Z")
i have two empty spaces on my rack…soon to be occupied by a new BHK preamp and a Bryston 14BSST2 amp. can’t wait! In the interim, a little Emotiva 250 is trying to pull it’s weight - and hanging in there…🙂 ![20190420_161647](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/psaudio/original/3X/0/6/06e175679955e4dc1611a224cd83b00b30f25976.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/92 "2019-04-20T19:24:29Z")
right on cleveland. are those 7308’s NOS? ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/93 "2019-04-20T19:26:39Z")
great advice. Thanks brett66! i was reading something earlier from a Bascom post where he switched left/right tubes and it fixed a bit of a noise issue… ---
**Author:** ![kcleveland123](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/kcleveland123/32/45645_2.png) [@kcleveland123](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kcleveland123)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/94 "2019-04-20T19:27:37Z")
Yes sir and almost $300 a pair for Platinum grade (best matching) and cryo. ---
**Author:** ![brett66](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/brett66/32/92201_2.png) [@brett66](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/brett66)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/95 "2019-04-20T19:28:18Z")
It’s routine for me to have to swap. It will be clear which tube likes which side and other sets will be identical. I would have tossed a few pairs of tubes had I not tried this with each set. ---
**Author:** ![kcleveland123](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/kcleveland123/32/45645_2.png) [@kcleveland123](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kcleveland123)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/96 "2019-04-20T19:31:44Z")
BTW I’ve been an electrical engineer for almost 35 years and I find the idea of break-in of solid state components a bit absurd. Flame on all takers. Vacuum tubes might need a bit of time to reach steady state. And don’t get me started on cable break-in seems really silly to me. I think a lot of this break-in is actually the listener adjusting to a change in system behavior. My 2 cents. ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/97 "2019-04-20T19:44:28Z")
ohhh nooo…an electrical engineer! haha…well…like Paul and Bascom have both mentioned…not all things can be explained through engineering and science alone. I am believer in this way of thinking. trust your ears. In my case, I believe my Direct Stream Sr. has changed its sonic character the more i use it. It’s only a few months old… ---
**Author:** ![brett66](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/brett66/32/92201_2.png) [@brett66](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/brett66)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/98 "2019-04-20T20:36:27Z")
I believe all things can be explained through engineering and science but they need not be. Just enjoy the ride! ---
**Author:** ![kylemillsap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kylemillsap](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kylemillsap)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/99 "2019-04-20T21:29:08Z")
I’ve run several NOS tubes, including the Amperex 7308 and the tungsram BHK select. I find that Mullard, Telefunken, and Gold Lion, all current production tubes, are better over the entire spectrum than any NOS tube I’ve tried. NOS is for romantics IMO. ---
**Author:** ![kcleveland123](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/kcleveland123/32/45645_2.png) [@kcleveland123](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/kcleveland123)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/100 "2019-04-20T21:39:48Z")
I find that I need some grounding in science to make informed decisions or the ride can get bumpy and expensive. ---
**Author:** ![brett66](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/brett66/32/92201_2.png) [@brett66](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/brett66)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/101 "2019-04-20T21:42:13Z")
30 day evaluation does it for me. It either sounds good or it doesn’t. I like to listen to a new piece or speakers for a short hour or two, make sure we’ll get along, then put that piece in my spare room and run continuous for 5-6 days. It’s remarkable to me how much many pieces change in that time. ---
**Author:** ![tj-sully](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/tj-sully/32/8655_2.png) [@tj-sully](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/tj-sully)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/102 "2019-04-20T21:49:11Z")
wow. it’s cool to see so many opinions. goes to show it’s all about personal preference. in my calypso preamp, i enjoyed the sound of NOS RCA 7025’s and a pair of NOS Mullard’s from the early 60’s. I also bought some old organ tubes that were pretty darn good. i also bought some current production 6922’s but the NOS RCA’s sounded 10x better. i’m new into this tube stuff…and having a blast! ---
**Author:** ![brett66](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forum.psaudio.com/brett66/32/92201_2.png) [@brett66](https://forum.psaudio.com/u/brett66)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707/103 "2019-04-20T21:54:28Z")
I’ve also enjoyed some of the old branded organ tubes. They might be something special, especially for the low price. They are the best of all the ‘NOS’ tubes I’ve tried including the Amperex, Tungsrams and Brimars. I’m finding the 12v tubes work better in my system than the 6/7v. [Previous page](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707.md?page=4) [Next page](https://forum.psaudio.com/t/new-bhk-pre-amp-wow/5707.md?page=6)