Need a New Preamp

Budget about $2k. Rather not pay for phono input as I don't spin vinyl. Dual outputs; and, ideally, a subwoofer output. Remote control is an absolute must. Volume and balance. Prefer defeatable bass/treble controls, but will consider units w/o tone controls. Headphone jack not necessary. Mono switch would be nice. A built-in DAC would, too, but not a deal-breaker. Tube or ss, though I lean toward the former.

Any suggestions?

Ancillary equipment - ST-70 Custom amp & Klipschorns.

 

I can only recommend what I have now, Parasound P 7 ... it does have phono and a headphone jack (OK, and some multichannel stuff), but also I think has everything you're asking for. Oops, no mono switch IIRC but the remote balance works very well. My 'old' pre (McIntosh C220) had a remote mono switch, was nice. I'm finicky about balance and tweaking it 'just so' - having the mono switchable allowed me to check the 'proper' balance (set to mono, adjust if necessary to center the image precisely, switch back to stereo). Sometimes I think my mono tube amps or something caused a little balance drift. Actually I have had no issues with the P 7 balance settings etc..

ANYWAY ... the P 7 is a great $2000 pre, I bought a 'factory refurb' unit thru Audio Advisor and would do it again ...

 

Maybe better would be the newer Parasound P5, a 2.1 pre.

DAC, 2 sub outputs (not stereo) with low- and high-pass adjustment. No balance on the remote.

Haven't heard it myself, but the brand is highly respected.

Model Halo P5 « Parasound »

 

W4S STP-SE preamp at two grand is very good.

 

Rotel's RC-1570 is maybe worth looking at. Around £800 in the UK.

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/art...eamplifier-and-rb-1552-mk-ii-power-amplifier/

 

The Rotel's write-up indicates a short-coming sonically; the Wyred 4 Sound site totally took their product from my list by throwing a pop-up in my face which obscures some of the info, and won't go away unless you subscribe to their site - an approach I refuse to reward even if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I really like the Parasound P-5, but I have read so much about so many different preamps and have concluded that I want a Bryston. So, it is back to saving mode for me. Perhaps by Christmas, I'll be ready to bust a move.

Thank you all for referring me to products appropriate to my stated needs, as all were so.

 

Bryston certainly seems like they make good stuff. After getting the P 7, I do tend to agree (with only one data point tho) that SS pre and tube power amps can give you great sound. When I built my tube amps, I had a SS integrated (Audio Analogue Puccini SE) that I used as a preamp for a year or 3. Then I got the McIntosh C220. It slayed the Puccini (as pre) in putting more meat on the bones, and the tube phono section was sublime. BUT the resolution was diminished ... I was able to get better perceived resolution using 'crisper' driver tubes (NOS Siemens & Halske 12AT7 types) and using a silver fuse. I sold the C220 for financial reasons but later when I was able to get another pre, decided on the P 7. Immediately I was struck by the sound, just excellent. We moved and I haven't even set the system up again yet, and haven't even tried the phono section (it's become less of a source recently).

I did get a Shunyata Venom 3 power cord ('demo' for $100, MSRP $150) and that did make a difference for the better, I'd recommend that for the Bryston pre when you get one. I haven't tried a silver fuse tho!

The premise someone made on some forum somewhere/sometime is to use the quietest preamp (SS or passive, even/especially for low output MC carts) to boost the tiny signals, then the tube amp(s) give you the tube magic ... with the K-horns you're certainly very sensitive to noise, and assume you've chosen tubes and tweaked your amp (IIUC a Dynaco-type ST-70 variant) for lowest noise.

One concern is matching gains etc. to maintain the lowest noise, not sure how that's done actually ... but assuming the Bryston is a very quiet pre, shouldn't be an issue? I've never and likely will never have >100dB/W senstivity speakers, so haven't read up on that kind of thing.

Good luck! and hope the new toy comes quickly!

 

Huh, I just looked at the site, when I got to the preamp page a thing did pop up, but there's a little 'X' in the upper right hand corner that closes the popup. Maybe (if it still doesn't go away) try 'expanding' the browser window horizontally so the thing doesn't cover the information?

I certainly understand if Bryston is your choice, but the W4S pre looks pretty cool too! and it does have the remote balance. I wonder if the upgrades are retrofittable? Haven't read reviews, of course most will likely say 'huge improvement' and the like ...! So a $2k pre quickly becomes a $4k pre ...

 

I used to correspond with Vinnie Rossi (he had some Triangle Titus speakers, and modded the crossover as I have done). He's a big-time audio designer now, I wonder if he sells a preamp? His thing is battery powered systems, which seem ideal for >100dB/W speakers ... may be worth a look. LIO PREAMPLIFIER - Vinnie Rossi Audio » hmmmmmm ... well, he does, but it's ... $4,000. goes to $10,000 with all the upgrades! Oh well!

 

Have you thought about buying a used preamp? Might get you a step up. I've had very good luck from Audiogon.

 

onkyo p-3000r

i do have the bryston bp6p...which hasthe optional mm stage. this stage, or card, retails for 500 usd alone.

it's an excellent preamp, same cicuitry as the flagship bp26 just with a internal transformer instead of a stand alone in a separate box. it also doesn't have a lot of features and isn't the big value it once was...go to audio advisors site for the retail price. i paid under 2k for my unit, including mm phono.

the onkyo weighs more, has a ton of digital and analog features ,and is comparable to $4000 preamps. it sounds fantastic. i heard it at ces on more than 1 occasion. the retail on that 1 is $1695, i believe. you can get itdirect from onkyo for piece of mind. however, onkyo's customer service is supposed to be crap,

 

Seeing your St70 and Klipsches, I'd absolutely steer you towards a tube preamp... The remote control, however, limits the choices drastically, and the balance and tone controls do so even further.

Roy Mottram's/tubes4hifi 6SN7 preamp design is VERY good. Don Sachs builds a custom version with uprated parts and nice chassis and can accomodate all sorts of mods -- possibly tone controls as well; I'd ask.

Quicksilver remote line stage may work for you well, and I am pretty sure they can do a balance control on order. Will be well under $2K new... Very good sounding products. Don't know about tone controls.

Used Dehavilland Mercury remote version would be great, too, but they are rare and probably still over $2K.

Also, Dennis Had, formerly of Cary Audio Design, hand-builds a couple of different preamps. I have not heard them but they seem to have a good reputation. He sells on ebay as radioman731 and can be contacted that way.

I am sure others will suggest plenty more...

 

I've got it. It's excellent value for money.

The dac on it is the only semi weakness, but I use the dac in my OPPO 105D anyway.

 

^ Yup.

I'm thinking that Parasound integrated will be my last amp purchase for the main 2-ch system.

I'd likely be using a separate DAC too. But nice to have one onboard to compare.

 

Which is why I surf the net with javascript disabled. I'm turned off by the name "Why Red Number Four Sound". If the product is good, the name doesn't have to be "gimmicky".

I have the NAD C165BEE preamp and I love it. It simply does everything I need, and I didn't have to pay for things I don't. Great piece for $1,000. A friend had the Parasound, but it wouldn't drive his power amp to a loud enough volume. So he sent it back, got the NAD, and he loves it too.

 

My local dealer has 2 very nice tube preamp's for sale. A Prima Luna Prologue Three for under $1000 and a AES (Cary) Super Preamp for less than $500. Can't go wrong w/a Dennis Had tube preamp.

 

Parasound P5 is a nice unit, but if you want to go tube, the Rogue RP-1 might be a great option. I think the Perseus is better, but bit over the budget. The Perseus has a killer phono stage, but not a criteria here.


OTOH, if you've never had an Audio Research tube preamp, you've missed out! Here's a great one on Agon at a nice price due to some minor issue with the volume control at a level you would likely never get to. (No affiliation). Matter of fact, there's several nice ARC units on Agon.

Audio Research LS-25 Remote Tube Preamp Silver new tubes New Price! | Tube | Kentwood, Michigan 49512 | Audiogon »

 

I once worked for an ARC dealer - ca mid-90s - and have heard the SP-9, 10 and 11 but my favorite was the SP-8, I liked the bloom. No remote with a used 8, hard to find anyway and the last used one I saw was pretty expensive. A Remote Line Stage one would be nice, and I saw the one you referenced. My thought was - if the problem is as minor and as easy to fix as claimed then get it fixed. When I do buy, it will only be an entirely issue-free sample.