Personal Preamp Evolution.


Yamaha C-80, Yamaha C-2, Sumo Athena, Blue Circle BC3, Blue Circle BC3000, Hovland HP100 and Antique Sound Lab TwinHead.
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1) +/- 1983 a Kenwood Receiver>

2) 1985 Hafler DH 101>

3) 1986 picked up a second Hafler DH 101>

4) In 1990, sold everything to finance a move >

5) Went without any "real" audio between 1991 and 1993>

6) 1994 picked up a Luxman Mosfet Receiver>

7) 1998 got a B&K ST - "Crap" >

8) ASAP in '98, I got rid of the B&K and picked out a Bryston 3B-ST>

9) Beginning in 2000, and over the next year or so, I toyed with a Sim Audio I-5 and Bel Canto Evo but ended up living with my back-up Luxman when I had to move once again >

9.1) 2001 - I started reviewing for www.positive-feedback.om, so there were many many amps going through my house, so from this point forward the listed amps are only those I purchased and owned for at least (12)months, except the Nuforce which were upgrades until the SE V2 unit, which I purchased a whole new chassis....>

10) 2003 - Antique Sound Labs (?) >

11) 2004 - Edge G-3>

12) 2000 & 2006 - reviewing several amps, some stayed months, some weeks...then...>

13) 2006 came the Nuforce 8.0>

13) 2006.5 Nuforce 9.0>

14) 2007 Nuforce 9.0 SE>

15) 2007.5 Nuforce 9.0 SE V2.....

So, with the SE V2, I really began to settled down. I was a bit antsey with the "SE" only version, but with the V2, Nuforce really hit out of the park for me...

Span of time: 25 years! Yikes.

John
2008:
Jan- Jas Array 1.1 tube
Feb- Supratek Chardonnay
Mar- Granite Audio 770
Jun- Dodd battery pre
Sep- Isabella (Red Wine Audio) with Isabellina NOS DAC

2009 - non
2010 - ???
Kenwood 700c (1977). Kenwood 700c restored (2006). It's been a hell of a ride.
McIntosh MA 5100 integrated in the seventies. Sold everything and was out of the hobby for more than a decade.
Creek integrated around '91. Arcam Alpha 9 integrated in the late '90s.
Conrad Johnson PV14, then upgraded to Series 2.
CJ Premier 17LS, then upgraded to Series 2.
Modwright SWL 9.0SE, then upgraded to Sig.
Modwright LS 36.5 at present.
My first preamp was an integrated with pre out/ main in jumpers that I used as a preamp. My first dedicated pre was an APT Holman which was great in it's day. That was replaced with a PS Audio 6.2 which was active or passive. That was replaced by a McIntosh C15 which was recently replaced by a McCormack RLD 1 which is the best pre I've owned to date by far.