What is wrong here.. on Audiogon?

Hello OP:

I ask a legitimate question about help on picking a preamp for my Pass Labs amp. I get maybe 10 responses.

First, I sincerely and genuinely hope you get good advice and end up with a match that you love. I'm sincerely sorry I don't know Pass amps well enough to help you, and honestly I'm surprised since there are a lot of pass fans in these forums. If I had an answer for you I'd share it.

Some other guy who apparently is not a Pass Labs fan,

Sounds like it may or may not be me....

has a thread on Amps with lights/meters and which sound better?

Oops, nope, definitely not me. I never said that amps with meters sounded better. I only said they are better.  :-)



It was in fact meant as a lighthearted, but honest thread. Honest in that it exposes how very different our desires are, and that we should be able to respect what others like while at the same time able to pick a different path than theirs. I'm also a sucker for nostalgia and reminiscing about gear from the 1980's so I am enjoying it immensely.


Unfortunately, at the root, you've stumbled upon the nature of social engagement on the internet. Despite having a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION you may or may not have any engagement at all, and sometimes trivial issues consume an entire populace's imagination.


This bothers me too. I know way too much about the Kardashians and way too little about the fall of the Prussian Empire.

I agree with rbstehno1 about liking the sound better with a good preamp between the DAC and the amp.  That's based on the same two PS Audio units, but with different brand preamp & amp.

To try to help the OP feel a little better, I have seen many threads where people ask for recommendations for a particular component and they get 50 replies recommending 45 different brands. That doesn’t help a lot either.

You’re probably better off looking into the smaller number of recommendations you received and if none of them work out, try again with a slightly different request or a more specific one based on what you’ve learned from the first set of recommendations.

I’m not a “jaded vet”, more “noob” than anything. But personally, I’ve come to appreciate the Audiogon forums and I sense a distinct personality or perspective that I’m not getting from other forums I’ve lurked on. That’s just my story. Not my point. 
But again, as someone who’s come to appreciate the community here and it’s wide range of seriousness, knowledge, intensity and snarky character, my immediate reaction to reading your post here is..I didn’t realize it was a contest. 
Maybe that’s just me. I’m not a person that compares “likes” or seeks out engagement in bulk. Personally, I value people’s intention, their experiences and more than anything, their time. I’d take ten, sincere, engaged opinions over 100 predictable, repetitive responses all day. 
Again, just my opinion; my experience. If anything, this just highlights what I’m understanding to be a deeper misunderstanding of “reality” that’s rampant in our lives. Our current cultural fix with these screens and their content has penetrated even the most intelligent of beings, the Audiophile. This is alarming. Up there with Global Warming..at least!

+1 @tomcy6

A big plus to responders who give detailed explanations for their recommendations. They make it a lot easier to tell if they are recommending a result you want.