Hi Brian . I own the 10 s and 20 s in a multichannel system and while the 20 is excellent and the 10 quite good , they both are a demanding load.I personally feel that the 20 t is one of the most resolving , musically satisfying speakers I have exer heard so if you like the Aerial family , I too suggest looking into the 20 t. In my Pipedream 21 system , I am struggling with the preamp issue myself. I am CSM for Apl Hi Fi and Alex is a firm believer in no preamp and designs his products with internal volume . I compared the Apl 3910 with 6 dacs per channel to the CJ Act 2. Going straight brought a livelier sense of spaciousness , more air and top end extension with a natural presentation to the sound that was focused and open . Installing the Act 2 closed the air off a touch but brought a more diverse palette of harmonic shadings throughout the entire frequency range . Throughout the midrange especially , the timbre contrasts were greater.There was more burnished tone to the Sax , more chest to male vocals , more delineation to the various percussive drums as each was struck in a drum kit. Conversely , the startling snap of leading edge transients were sharper with the unit bypassing the preamp. Its ultimately a matter of taste as much of this hobby is.
Do I even need or want a preamp?
For over 5 years my home audio system had been stable. I used a Wadia 6 direct into a Jeff Rowland Model 1 with Synergistic Research balanced interconnects, out to a pair of Aerial 10Ts (Synergistic Research cables). I knew that the speakers could use more power than the Roland could give, and that the Wadia 6 was now pretty outdated. I recently replaced the Wadia and the Rowland with an Accuphase DP-57 CD player and a used Levinson 336 amp, plus replaced the interconnects with a pair of Tara Labs Air2. The end result was that the Aerials came alive and I am hearing MUCH more detail without harshness.
I brought home a BAT preamp to try out and have to say that whatever differences (other than volume capability) seemed quite subtle. The bass might have been a bit tighter, but it seemed like some of the ambient information was lost. Considering the $6500 list price of the preamp, I am trying to figure out if a preamp is even helpful for my system. The Accuphase has its own internal volume control. Never having owned a preamp before, I don't know what I was expecting, but improvement in the sound did not seem to be present with the preamp. I am now leaning towards not adding a preamp to the system, but want to know if I'm simply uninformed about any benefits that one might do for my current system.
Thanks in advance for helping me learn!
I brought home a BAT preamp to try out and have to say that whatever differences (other than volume capability) seemed quite subtle. The bass might have been a bit tighter, but it seemed like some of the ambient information was lost. Considering the $6500 list price of the preamp, I am trying to figure out if a preamp is even helpful for my system. The Accuphase has its own internal volume control. Never having owned a preamp before, I don't know what I was expecting, but improvement in the sound did not seem to be present with the preamp. I am now leaning towards not adding a preamp to the system, but want to know if I'm simply uninformed about any benefits that one might do for my current system.
Thanks in advance for helping me learn!
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- 16 posts total
- 16 posts total