2. amps-preamps
  3. 164566-137654

Preamp or not.

I currently have the following setup Bluesound Node 2I, Topping D90, Pass XA25, Crites Type B speakers.
I originally had a Sunfire preamp but it failed. Then I upgraded my system last year. I tried a passive pre amp but removed it and now run the DAC direct to amp. The passive sounded fine but I ended up running it at full volume. No remote. I use the Bluesound ap to change volume. My thinking was less is better. My speakers are efficient and dynamic.

The Topping puts out 2V. Pass told me this is adequate. I am wondering what a preamp would do. How would it improve or degrade the sound? How much gain do I want from the preamp? Tube or solid state? Any other suggestions are welcome or should I just leave this alone? I don’t like buying, selling and failing. Here are some I saw that look interesting.

Pro-Ject Pre

Doge

Modwright

Van Alstine

I would like to spend 2000 or less. I don’t need Phono. Remote volume would be nice. Thank you again.

128x128daledeee1
henry201
144 posts
 
Absolutely impossible for them to give more dynamics... than what’s from the source.!!

They sure can, if they have more gain.


georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
They sure can, if they have more gain.
The gain is from the source, "if it’s enough" to get to the loudness you need, any more is not going to be used used no matter where it comes from or is added as it will just be turned back down to where you want it!!!!!

Remember what Nelson Pass says about passive preamps
"What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.
And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp."

Cheers George
daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1 OP
563 posts
 
I don' t think there is one answer to this passive vs active debate.  It depends on your system.  If 2V SE or 4V BAL from a DAC is enough to drive your speakers and your amp is right sized, passive should be fine.  If you have demanding speakers and demanding music then an active might be right.  I don't see how an active preamp would make up for an undersized amp or hard to drive speakers.  All the parts add up to the whole.  An active preamp could add a sound signature that is appealing to some ears.  The preamp I am buying will let me try a tube buffer, passive with no buffer, or with a little modification, it could have tubes added.  Once again, I learn plenty on this forum.  Thank you all.
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@daledeee

I don’ t think there is one answer to this passive vs active debate. It depends on your system. If 2V SE or 4V BAL from a DAC is enough to drive your speakers and your amp is right sized, passive should be fine. If you have demanding speakers and demanding music then an active might be right. I don’t see how an active preamp would make up for an undersized amp or hard to drive speakers. All the parts add up to the whole. An active preamp could add a sound signature that is appealing to some ears.

well summarized

i find passives are highly system dependent, even down to the cabling

i use a sonnet morpheus dac with a lossless volume control to drive any new amp i get with short cables (<1 m) - thus removes the preamp from the chain for the clearest sense of the sound of the amp

when i have a fix on what the amp sounds like, i then may elect to inject the pre/linestage into the chain to get input switching and whatever sonic benefits are needed (e.g. ayre for additional bass drive, cj tube unit to soften up the treble a touch and expand/deepen imaging, or i will use an old but lovely carver lightstar reference passive unit to gain input switching and volume control without adding any sonic drive - actually at a tiny of loss of drive...)
daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1 OP
563 posts
 
I received my VTA/tubes4hifi preamp and it was a total problem solver. I am running it as a passive pre amp with a tube buffer. Yes, I was definitely losing resolution at lower volumes. Very nice sounding. And it was affordable.   Definitely got plenty of power and gain without any pre amp gain.
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