Not sure what to think


This weekend I spent A/B testing a new preamp. My system: OPPO 105 (I only  have CDs), Bryston 9B-SST amplifier, B&W 801 loudspeakers (circa 1980) no special cables, non-sound treated room. My current preamp is a Krell-KAV 250p recently serviced. I have always wanted to test a McIntosh preamp. My dad had McI equipment when I was growing up and recently visiting local stores with McI in their listening rooms blew me away (as would be expected in a vendor-setup room). I borrowed a McI C-49 to try out.

I spent 3 days putting different CDs in and out. Rock, jazz, classical, house. In rock, 80s rock, prog rock, anything I knew super well. I tried a few SACDs, too. I had to keep switching the cables so there was always about a minute or so going between the equipment. 

I wanted BADLY to hear a difference. I really did. Between the childhood nostalgia, the looks of the McI (yes, I know music is for listening, not watching what it comes out of), and the vendor visits, I was ready. I had to believe my "vintage" Krell would not stand up to a modern, much more expensive McI. I spent hours going back and forth and back and forth. I kept telling myself I would hear something different on the McI and I just did not. So many discs, keying in on different types of passages, focusing on the bass or the vocals or the mids. You name it, I was ready for that one tiny moment to say "drop the money on a McI and don't look back."

Alas, as much as I still have a passion for the McI for the non-auditory reasons above, for the moment I will be sticking with my Krell. I am not here to knock McI - I still love the thought of it, or any type of equipment that might upgrade my listening experience. I guess I should feel good that the Krell is still working and maybe something else will come along in my future. My sound producer friend suggested I spend the dollars on room treatments. :-)

olfac87

When you stop thinking about brand names, which brand name gave you more audiofoofoo street cred, etc, you may find gold eventually.

Marketing and the audiofoofoo blabber can cost you a lot and deliver nothing, i.e., many naked rotund emperors could end up resting on your audio rack.

Alas, as much as I still have a passion for the McI for the non-auditory reasons above, for the moment I will be sticking with my Krell.

@olfac87 The distortion signature of any amp is its sonic signature as well. Obviously not a lot of difference between these two but that isn't the same as saying there's been no progress in the last 30 years!

There are solid state amps (some are class D) that are smoother and more detailed than the Krell. There are amps that sound the same. You got good advice about preamp and sources too. Don't write things off on your first try- do some research and see.

If you want to stop torturing yourself, get a copy of Jim Smith's GET BETTER SOUND and read it.  He points out the way you have your rig set up in the room is most of the reason for sound quality issues (like the reason you're not hearing differences you should be able to hear.)

Do all the things you can do for free first, e.g., adjusting the distance from your ears to the tweeters and the distance between tweeters, distance of the speakers from the front wall, etc.

After you fix those things, then start changing equipment.

I have VAC tube amp and ARC tube preamp that i bought them back in 1996 and they are still going strongI sometimes switch out the VAC for my Bryston 5B-St 3 channel power amplifier  I'm very impressed with the Bryston ARC combination I also own the Oppo BD105 and love it! I do bypass its internal DAC with my external DAC  I also use the Oppo to connect my two Subs in stereo mode via pre out for my 2 channel stereo rig  

@hilde45 because it’s possible that the acoustics of your room are masking differences you might hear with a better treated room. It’s also possible that your speakers are not revealing the difference,

Could you explain the physics behind that contention? If all other parameters are the same, simply swapping any one component will absolutely make an audible change if there was one to be made.