Used (tube) Blue Circle BC3 Despina can be had for around $1500. It can handle long runs and will not color the sound. If you want solid state, then the Conrad Johnson PFR.
(PS...Since when is an active preamp automatically bright??) |
...it's actually more on colouration and bringing the sound away from reality rather than being simply bright that is not neccesarily.
with short interconnect runs and sencitive poweramps you can get away with cheap passive pre-amplification that will be compatible with expencive active preamps. |
Marakanetz, I have found that using Argent Room Lens clones between my speakers has eliminated the problem that is normally caused by having the equipment between the speakers. This is very easy and cheap to try. Instructions for them are on the Jon Risch DIY room treatments website. I made 6 of them for about $50. I then followed the Argent recommendations for placement, and found out that they worked very well.
The reason I am mentioning this, is because maybe you can get back to passive this way. And also, look at the Bent Audio website for the new wave in passive controls. |
TWI is correct about the room lens I removed mine for few minutes to see the difference it was significant build them yourself they work. |
There is at least one active preamp available which actually runs in passive mode up to unity gain, then switches in the active section above that point on the volume control. I don't rerember the name(s) but I read about it here somewhere. I suggest you try searching the archives or use the search engine for "passive". |
Bob, it's adcom gfp750 that is great in passive mode and also has a unity gain, but first i'm not sure how far it brings music from real in active mode... The length of wires adds too much resistance for a 600mV...1V signal.
despite having a sencitive power amplifiers I still need a positive gain. I can also try to buffer thorugh Musical Fidelity tube buffer that might reduce the wire impedance influence...?
I'm also tended to consider Room Lenses and if it will bring me the stage that I have now I will forget about going active ever. |
I'm thinking maybe the McCormack ALD or RLD were others in that catagory? |
I know McCormacks are good bang for a buck but they're all extra-bright in active mode |
Marakanetz,
You are looking for a transparent preamp without colorations and yet planning to connect it with MIT 2 interconnects. IMHO they are OK for HT or Mid-Fi stuff, but will completely negate any benefits you could get from moving your equipment.
As to preamps, I would look into used CAT preamps. They have excellent phono section, btw. |
good point about the T2's: should upgrade to a better cable anyway (T4 if not the 350, if you want to stick with MIT) as that T2 is a compromise at this application level |
I used T2 for the STAX SRM1 headphone driver that I believe less affected by the wire quality. In general I believe that T2 has a great built quality and great plugs but anywhay I use it temporarily to check how it works. I'll definitely brew for myself some VanDenHul Type1(depends on my decision) since I always basically refer to these interconnects. The other alternative that I have is to get longer speaker wire at least for one monoblock. The ones I use VanDenHul CV125 are the best ones that I know for the money. I paid for unterminated pair of 6ft runs $75 and changed them over JPS labs Superconductor! |
Pass Labs Aleph P can be had in your price range. This is a really cool preamp, $4000 new, Stereophile class A. It gives you a choice between passive and any amount of gain you want to induce. I use it in it's passive mode most of the time. Sometimes the amp needs some help and I turn up the two gain knobs to a level appropriate. Each input has it's own single ended class A Mosfet. What's more, it comes with a great remote.
Under no circumstances do any Pass components exhibit coloration or brightness. |
Consider a used Spectral DMC 12 or DMC 20, if it can be had that cheaply. I've seen used 12's for around $1500 before, used 20's for somewhat more. I compared these to my purest sound systems passive control unit, and they were more revealing, not as bright, and incredibly 3 dimensional. They're also beautiful pieces of industrial design. The 20 was smoother than the 12, but they were both big steps up from the passive control. |
