My take on the BeePre

[Paully]

Ha! I am an addict, we swear we will never do it again and then...  Anyway, just put in my order!  Was going to talk it over with Grainger before I did but that guy is as addicted as I am.  I know what he is going to say.  Nothing like two junkies egging each other on.

As far as tubes go, I ordered my Bee Pre without tubes. I never liked EH.  I was very happy with Shuguang when my Paramounts were configured for 300B.  I am thinking I am just going to get a pair of those.

[Paul Birkeland]

Thinking on the BeePre, the output caps are the only thing I would consider playing around with but prices for those big caps are prohibitive. 

No one is going to break down your door and chastise you if you use a cap smaller than 10uF on the BeePre.  We put the 10uF cap on there to be sure the frequency response characteristics when driving heavy loads would match the actual capabilities of the 300B.  If you're driving Paramounts, try a 1-3.3uF cap and call it good.

-PB

[Chris65]

I was very happy with Shuguang when my Paramounts were configured for 300B.  I am thinking I am just going to get a pair of those.

Which model were they Paully? 300B-98?
Just considering some back-ups/options.

[johnsonad]

Microphonics are a huge issue in this preamp where as you wouldn't notice it as much in a power amp. The EH gold grids sounded surprisingly good in my BeePre but if you read back a few pages to my review of tubes, I ultimately settled on the EML solid plates.  Before you spend a big chunk of dough there are some cheaper tubes that sound very good in this preamp with low microphany.

[johnsonad]

PB, I tried a 5uF cap at one point but it didn't have as much low end.  It's worth another try and I've got some random caps in that range to play with. Thanks!

[Paully]

Been a while since I had them, but sure seems like they were the 300B-98.  Pretty darn sure.  And I did really like them.

[Paul Birkeland]

Yeah, I would say buy a 10uF Solen, 4.7uF Solen, and 1uF Solen, then draw those kinds of conclusions. 

Into Paramounts, we are talking about -3dB points of 0.06Hz, 0.14Hz, and 0.64Hz.  This isn't to say that you won't hear a difference, but it's good to limit the variables as much as possible.

[johnsonad]

Thank you PB, we had a fun afternoon of cap rolling.  I'm using 10uF KBG's in the BeePre now on extended leads.  I removed the caps and used alligator clip jumpers for the testing.   Today we did a little A/B/A/C/A/B with a 1.0uF Claritycap MR and a 1.5uF Rike Audio PIO using our usual test CD and some familiar recordings.  The MR was too polite and distant when compared to the other two.  Both of the PIO's were fuller.  The Rike started off good but after a few recordings we realized that it was much more rounded and made the system sound lower fidelity allowing us to listen to bad recordings for longer without pain but they didn't sound right at all.  The KBG's aren't perfect but in the current configuration they sounded the best of the three.  I'm using Rike's as PF caps in the Paramounts as they replaced KBG's.  This was an improvement but we may swap back to hear the difference after a month or so.  I've got some other caps in 1uF and above that we will try them in the BeePre sometime in the future.  I noticed no loss of bass with the 1.5uF caps and the 1uF caps sounded so far off that we didn't pay much attention to the low end.   

[Paully]

How are you liking the KBGs as coupling caps?  I have some of those in the crossover for my Altecs.

[johnsonad]

I'm using v-cap copper tefelons as couplers in the Paramounts. Overall I'm a big fan of KBG's and they are my go to cap until something works better.  Presently they are the output caps in the BeePre and the alternate PF cap in the Paramounts.

[Paully]

What are the caps, all in all, that you changed out and what were the values?

[johnsonad]

In the BeePre or Paramounts?

[Paully]

Bee Pre, I am done tweaking my Paramounts!  I am rereading your post, I misunderstood it for some reason (I probably know, but wouldn't want to admit it).  I see you are just changed out the KBG's in the Bee Pre.  Got it, thanks.  I am going to collect all of the tweaks people are doing and ask some further questions in another post.

Anyway, I may do the KBG's or some Obligatto.  We'll see what I decide.  Thanks again.

[RPMac]

After four months, my take on the BeePre is that it is excellent bone stock.
I don't seam to have a problem with microphonics.
The only thing I have changed is tubes...speaking of which, give the JJ 300b some thought. Also, the 6A3 is a drop-in replacement that I really like and NOS tubes are reasonable.

[Paully]

I am looking at JJ right now.  I was a little concerned after all I read from Jim McShane on the quality of the JJ 8-pin tubes.  But if the 300B are still being built well, I am more than open to trying them.  Also, as the 6A3 is a drop-in replacement I will see about picking up a pair.  Thanks!