Anyone using 2 preamps in their rig?

Interesting thought process.  But to me that means each preamp pleases you in different ways.  Time to find on preamp that does it all.

Happy Listening.

@bigkidz If you have heard the CODA 07x preamp and the Benchmark LA4 preamps (the 2 I used) you most likely would think they are on the opposite ends of the sonic spectrum. I loved both preamps with various amps. I doubt there is 1 unit preamp out there that can sound like both. Maybe with a TONE control to sound like the warmer CODA 07x.

@yyzsantabarbara

I can send you one of the ones we make if you are interested google vujadeaudio and contact me that way

OP, “”My quandary is as I look up the performance ladder the prices get scary.”

Yep, I completely get it. The performance gets more and more satisfying. It’s a question of what you value.

Fairly early in life I realized I really gained great satisfaction from music, literature, photography and astronomy. Also, backpacking, bicycling, SCUBA and mountaineering. So I dropped skiing, parachuting, sailing and some other pursuits. You can’t do them all.

So, I have ridden my bicycles well over 100,000 miles, dove all over the Caribbean and the South Pacific, hiked and mountaineered all over the world and have a world class audio system.

By concentrating on a few things, I have got tremendous rewards from pursuing them. Looking back… very rewarding.

I use 2 pre in one of my systems. Have a McIntosh C52 and utilize a fixed output from the C52 into a C20. It provides the best of both worlds- modern solid state and vintage tube. And both can operate driving different pairs of speakers individually or together. The DAC in the C52 can be used and tone controls on C20 used simultaneously.