Conventional wisdom has been that if you want a little tube magic in your system start with the preamp. I went this route for a number of years. Eventually for music, I went all tubes for playback. For movies, I always had a pair of solid state amps for my front speakers. The solid state amps were also backups for my tube amps.
Currently, I am fortunate to have a pair of Atma-Sphere Class D amps and a pair of Cary 211 FE amps. I auditioned the PMG pre with the Class D amps primarily because to break in the PMG I was leaving the system on and playing it for hours. I didn’t want to put the extra hours on the tubes. I was so enamored of the BHK pre I didn’t even audition it with my tube amps before sending the BHK trade in to PS Audio.
I was planning on hooking up my tube amps but the day I returned my BHK pre one of my Martin Logan subs went down. ML who have always had great service quickly sent me a new backplate which I installed and I finally hooked up my tube amps to see how they responded to the PMG.
Spectacular is the best way to describe this pairing.As much as the PMG improved the sound of my system with the Class D amps, it more than doubled that with the tube amps. It has been my experience that my solid state amps sound better at the lower and top ends of the frequency spectrum but my tube amps do better in the middle. On the bottom end with the tube amps I am now getting bass that rivals and possibly betters any of the solid state amps I have had in my system. The top end has improved as well but my Class D amps which are solid state are a little more accurate on the top end.
It is the midrange that where the magic really happens with the PMG and tube amp pairing. Prior to installing the PMG the Class D amps showed me what I was missing going with an all tube front end but I was willing to live with it to get that golden/ honeyed sound you get with tubes. To me it just sounds more realistic despite the previous mentioned sound drawbacks.
With the PMG I am getting the best of both worlds. I know for a lot of you as it was with me think to have a solid state pre with tube amps is going against conventional wisdom but it not only worked for me, it did so spectacularly.
Great review!
What I was hoping the PMG preamp would provide (or any preamp for that matter) was a mixture of the best sonic qualities of solid state and tube sound. Your views make me hope that someone has finally managed to provide that. Very encouraging!
@Iwin1949 Congrats on the match you’ve found between the PMG preamp and the Cary tube amps. I’m currently using my BHK preamp with the Atma-Sphere GaNFET Class D monoblocks and liking the combo a lot. The A-S monoblocks bring incredible transparency to my system, without harshness or listening fatigue. Based on the positive comments about the PMG preamp from you and others, I’m considering the possibility of replacing my BHK pre with the PMG pre. I’m unlikely to switch to tube-based amps, but I’d appreciate hearing more about the changes you’ve experienced when using the PMG pre instead of the BHK pre in combination with the A-S monoblocks.
@weedeewop @rkindel Thanks guys for the kind words !
Congrats with that magic combo. As many on this forum know, I switch between tubes and solid state all the time, and one of the combinations that I like is using the MU2 as a preamp to feed my Conrad Johnson tube amp (EL34 tubes).
The clean solid state feeding the sweet tubes is a treat.
@SDL The Atma-Sphere amps were a surprise. At the recommendation of a friend I borrowed a pair to try out as I was curious about class d amps and to be candid , I was and am tired of lifting and packing up my heavy amps when they needed repair. I have a pair of Odyssey Audio Kismet Reference fully loaded class A/B amps that the Atma- Sphere bested and replaced. I should get around to selling them .
I was hoping that the PMG pre was at best an incremental improvement over the BHK but it wasn’t. The BHK is a very good pre and I goosed it with NOS tubes and a Synergistic Research master fuse. The PMG takes all the positives of the BHK and really kicks them up a surprising notch. It has better performance at the frequency extremes, more detail , wider, higher and deeper soundstage . It is also non fatiguing as a 6 hour listening session yesterday proved to me.
The combination you have is a winner and everyone who heard that combination in my system loved it. A couple of my friends actually like the Atma-Sphere/ BHK combo better than the BHK/ Cary. I hope I have answered you questions . Enjoy the music! Larry
Thanks, Larry. Your comments are very helpful!
It was gratifying for me to read your review, as I also use Atma-Sphere Class D amps. As of yesterday afternoon I have swapped out my BHK pre for the PMG pre. Initial listening was very promising, and currently I’m burning in the PMG by running low volume pink noise 24/7. BTW I don’t use music to break in equipment, as music “hijacks” my brain and I’m unable to function unless I stop and pay attention to whatever music is playing. As an aside I wonder if others have the same reaction to music.
At any rate thanks for all of your comments. Happy listening!
I burned in my MU2 by playing music through the entire system. Seems more enjoyable than pink noise, lol.
Martin Logan service is top notch!!! They have always been more than helpful finding solutions for issues and they help remedy them fast! Highly recommend them!
@SDL One big difference I forgot to mention is the volume difference. With the PMG I am playing it at a measured 80 to 85dba compared to 85 to 90 dba with the BHK. All I can think that accounts for this is the difference in the amount of detail. Maybe I am wrong and PMG can tell me what is actually happening.
“On the bottom end with the tube amps I am now getting bass that rivals and possibly betters any of the solid state amps I have had in my system.” Exactly what I am hoping for when I finally get my PMG DAC although not sure it will have the same impact as the Pre. Am DAC->AMP right now… and love it (yes even the Mk1 is amazing still) but do miss the bass of my previous SS McIntosh setup… also, 1 REL S/510 might need to be 2 in near future…
@softlight64 “BTW I don’t use music to break in equipment,as music “hijacks” my brain and I’m unable to function unless I stop and pay attention to whatever music is playing. “ You aren’t alone which is why I play music I really don’t care for or listen to break in gear.
I have alway loved to discover new music and artists. When I was working ,I was a “road warrior” I programmed my radio to pick up the different stations in the New England territory I was covering. If a song sounds good on the typical car stereo,nine times out of ten it will sound much better at home. It is difficult to evaluate music on my big rig because just about everything sounds good. What I have done to overcome this I use an old pair of Koss 950 headphones and sample music through Quobuz and Tidal put it on a playlist and try it out on the big rig.
So no you aren’t alone in getting hijacked”
@Hoku PMG says the DAC will have a bigger impact on the sound quality compared to the pre.
As an aside , anyone who wants to hear the PMG in person, I will be glad to demonstrate it for you with music that you enjoy. I live 45 minutes from Portland Maine.
Yep, being a musician I can’t not listen and somehow it’s worse when it’s mundane music (never played here). I’m still breaking in the PMG and I put something on repeat but with amps turned off.
In my last posting I extended an invite to anyone who wants to hear the PMG pre. I will take it a step further. Bring your current preamp and we will compare them. I can play either digital or vinyl on tube or solid state amps class D amps your choice. Consumer warning: the majority of people who demo gear in my system end up purchasing it.
wish I could teleport the 5,200 miles to Portland
@Hoku 5,200 miles where do you live ?
Oahu