Truly Balanced Cheaper Preamplifiers?

For new,  the Freya + is a no brainer for its price.  In used,  you should find many...
One of the Coda Contiunuum Preamps or CL or CLX... (these are all nice sounding)
Audio Research  LS9, LS12
Muse Model 3 Signature
Classe 5 or 6 or CP47 or CP50
I suspect that the Gustard recommended would be good for the buck $700,  but to be fair,  I've never heard it.  
I hope this helps,  Tim 

Hello,
I went the route of Emotiva XSP. You can get it fir $700-$800 used but in great shape. Full balanced design. Lots of hookup options. It does not have a DAC so I added my own. It also has a home theater pass through to let you surround sound receiver or prepro use the front two speakers and amp. Later I will upgrade to a Rouge RP7 or RP9 which is very similar but is tube and a much higher level. Even if I upgrade I will not get rid of the emotiva it is that good. There is a matching DAC that is also worth more that I have. One more option. Get a really nice DAC that has volume control. Good luck. 

Get a DEQX Premate and have fun!

What about an Atmosphere preamp, they are truly balanced. 

When AR were questioned as to how the amplifier can be fully balanced, they said:

 The REF Phono 3SE does not have balanced inputs. We create a balanced signal after the inputs using a phase inverter. What turntable are you using that has balanced outputs? The outputs of the Phono 3SE are balanced and will feed your line stage with a balanced signal, pin two is positive, pin 3 is negative, and pin one is ground.
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Summary: The phase inverter does not increase the gain of the unit, it simply maintains a balance signal through the circuitry. This does provide CMR but we have no published specs on that to share.
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Summary: The REF Phono 3 uses a phase inverter circuit which converts the single ended inputs to balanced so the unit is fully balanced through the unit at at the XLR outputs

All very strange.

@clearthinker   The ARC phono section doesn't have a balanced input. The only explanation I have for this is a failure to realize that call cartridges are balanced sources? Or maybe they worry that dealers won't like it if it uses an XLR input. Dunno. At any rate it sounds like its a single-ended input with a balanced output.


My Triplanars were supplied with balanced connections (XLRs). ARC owns a Triplanar (I know people over there as we're in the same town). So this shouldn't sound weird to them. It does sound like you encountered someone in marketing that didn't really know what was going on.