2. amps-preamps
  3. 191420-193414

Need suggestions on preamp

I’m mainly a headphone listener so when I got the chance to purchase a pair of Magnepan LRS speakers near my home town, I ran with it. I love Maggies and their midrange smoothness and live performance feel. I was able to find a used Parasound A21 for $1200 on Marketplace which was replacing my Adcom 545. I’m now running into a dilemma where I think the Adcom 545 sounded more detailed to me. I listen to a lot of instrumental music that I know well and I’m not getting the same level of detail as I’m getting with my headphone setup which is running balanced from my RME ADI-2 DAC. I’m using more expensive Audience AU-SX interconnects on those but even when running the RME direct into the amp (since it has volume control) I’m not getting the level of resolution I’m used to with my headphone setup (Hifiman HE1000 with a Serbian Audio HSA-1B amp).

I think the issue might be related to my preamp. I bought a Schiit Saga+ and despite running good NOS tubes or trying out passive mode I’m not getting the resolution I’m looking for. I’m looking for a recommendation on a preamp that costs between $1,000-$2,000 that will max out the resolution of the Parasound while keeping it’s effortless flow and naturalness in tact. Maybe the problem is the speakers and I really should have gone for the LRS+ or 1.7s? I know the room plays a huge role with Maggies but I live in a small apartment so for now I’m looking for any suggestions that can be fixed with gear. Thanks for any help!

128x128hikaru126
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classicrockfan
173 posts
 

A good preamp has to be very transparent and ultra linear Y=aX (a: the gain factor) to benefit. Added your normal preamp is a step sideways and evern down from running the DAC direct (if the unit has a volume control) you many want to invest in a good preamp such as Pass Labs, Accuphase

 

 

hikaru126's avatar
hikaru126 OP
16 posts
 

@classicrockfan - I don’t know if spending my money on trying to get these speakers to resolve with a more expensive preamp is going to fix the issue. It sounds like to me like I should have gotten brighter gear. My single driver Lii Audio Silver 6 speaker with custom enclosure was bright at times and temperamental but gave me good detail. I think I might need to settle with these speakers and find matching gear to play to their strengths or just end up going with something else all together.

@ghdprentice - what do you recommend for my budget? Are their SS offering pretty good compared to tubes? I’m leaning towards a LS9 or LS3.

@sameyers1 - that's my fear but ATC stuff (which I really like) is around the $2-$3k and I just sold my Wharfdale Linton stands. What I really like about the Maggies is their soundstage and the ability for attributes like vocals to just bring you to another place. They definitely sound bigger than the speakers and these are the only speakers I've been able to really get me to understand soundstage. They might be the same tonality wise as Wharfdale as I believe their higher end offerings 10.2, Linton, etc. aren't particular detailed as well unless perhaps you're talking about the Evo 4.2s or something.

saboros
27 posts
 

I got the LRS+ for my bedroom 2.1 home theater system and assumed I’d have to get a new amp.  (I use the Benchmark as my dac/pre.)

I  discovered my old Adcom 545II sounded so good (in terms of detail and bass) that at least in this context, I’m not sure what else I would want.

 

g2the2nd
99 posts
 

From a happy LRS owner. Get a high pass filter to roll off the input to the amp that feeds the LRS at 50 Hz. Get a good sealed sub - Rythmic or SVS. Set the sub crossover for 50 Hz. Your electronics are not the issue.

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