levinson 26 to replace adcom 565


want to replace my preamp and want a phono preamp, the newer Levinson have but more than I want to spend. I use a GFA 555 Adcom and Heresy IV speaker. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated 

canefanmd

with the 565 the amp had treble wlth the levinson not so much got to see when I change cables and cartridge changing amp right now isnt possible due to what i spent on preamp I think another month and I can change the amp But yes the sound is different

well a revelation cd sounds great so definitely need a different cartridge going with a Hana MC EL getting AudioQuest Columbia interconnects should arrive  soon 

Once you get everything in and have had time to settle everything in, let us know how it turns out.

And don't forget to give the Hana cartridge time to break in.

I just can't believe the sound with the CD player and the volume also very low or you're blasting the speakers just have been playing vinyl since the preamp was installed

I can believe it.  A good preamp can change everything.  Next to speakers, the preamp can be the heart of a good system.

As for volume setting being low, the Levinson has a higher gain (i.e. raising the input signal) than the GFP-565.  And with the Heresy's high sensitivity (99+ dB) it doesn't take a lot of power to drive them.  That will give you a lot of options for upgrading the amp in the future.

So, take your time.  Once the new cartridge comes in and you get it setup properly (azimuth, tracking force, anti-skate, overhand, etc.), hook up the AQ Columbia's and live with it for a while.  No need to rush it.  When you are ready to upgrade the GFA-555 amp, try and audition/borrow what you can and see what you like and don't like before purchasing.  You will find that different amps have their own "sound" to them and some will work well with the Heresy's, and more importantly,  some will not.  Those horns can be quite unforgiving.

... and most importantly, Enjoy the Music.

 

- Jeff