Preamp with KEF LS50W’s

I love the new powered speakers, but realize that I have some analog devices I might still want to connect as I don’t think I will be perting with my Gumby and I am in the market for a new phono stage. Since I have a very nice Rogue RP5 sitting unused I am thinking it makes sense to not downsize “quite” so much and have the preamp feed the analog input.

Anyone else using a decent preamp to feed the KEF’s? I was all excited to go small on the equipment stack but I have a sneaky suspicion that I will regret it later.

The RP-5 is an excellent sounding piece and I think even the phono stage is very good.

 

@BayouTiger, I'm wondering what you came up with? I recently purchased a pair of the LS50Ws and am in the "what to get rid of" phase.

 

Honestly, been so busy the past couple months I haven’t tried anything different. Still have not had time to rearrange the rack. Still just feeding the LS50W’s a steady diet of Roon.

 

I've only had mine a few days but have already tried using my dac/preamp feeding the analog input which is very good. Also tried bypassing the dac/preamp and using the optical input on the KEFs.

These speakers allow a person to ditch a lot of equipment if that was desired.

 

Parasound P5 would be a good fit here, although I don't understand why you'd keep Gumby if your system is going to re-digitze everything anyway.

 

I’ve had a P5 and it’s good, but not nearly so as the RP5 at least to my ears, especially the phono stage. The Gumby will stay as I might use it later and I haven’t connected it to the KEFs to see how it does.

 

Hate to resurrect an old thread, but has any one tried a tube pre with the LS50w? Looking to get more than one input on the rca and add a bit of tubey goodness.
Thanks

 

I do not have the LS50W but do have the KEF Reference 1 and 3s and use a Backert Labs Rhumba with them and they sound magnificent. I think KEF speaker match really well with tubes.

 

Here's a naive/ignorant question.

If I were to decouple the pre-outs from the main-ins of a vintage receiver (Marantz 4400) and feed the receiver's preamp to the analog inputs of the KEF LS50Ws, wouldn't that be feeding a preamp into the KEFs' preamp?

So, problematically, you'd have a double preamp going?

 

Yea that's what I'm thinking. But I've got a spare tube pre and just might try it. I used it with emotiva mono blocks and had to use a limiter, I think 12db.
Time to rustle around.

 

Or a passive preamp? Plenty to choose from and they range from the neat to the full size. I use one of the former (Tisbury Audio), which is quite a simple design and works brilliantly in my setup.

 

I'm using a Parasound Zpre3 with mine. I'll probably replace it with a Schiit Saga if I can ever find one in black.

 

What are you setting the LS50w to, as far as volume?

 

Has anyone tried a Schiit Freya preamp with the LS50W?