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What preamp creates the largest soundstage?

I have always loved a large soundstage.  I have a small listening room (10x10) and have mini-monitors, driven by a tube amp.  I have played a lot with speaker placement, room acoustics, listening position to create a large soundstage.  I have rolled tubes on the amp and made dramatic improvements. (I have purposely left details on the brands of tubes, amp and speakers out, because I don’t want side comments to distract from my question)

i have a digital source into a solid state naim preamp.  I home demo’ed a well reviewed preamp, and was surprised at how much the soundstage shrunk, both side to side and top downward.  It was deeper, and did have much of the tube magic, but I could not live without the big soundstage.  

so my question is, does anyone have experience with a preamp that produces a big soundstage?  I am looking for recommendations on what to demo next. While I lean toward tubes, I am open to solid state.  I am okay either new or used, and could spend in the 5k range, but would be happy to spend less.  Also comments on specific brands (i.e. xyz is known to have great soundstage in all their preamps) as opposed to models, are welcome.

and I will be the first to admit that perhaps the very large soundstage is not “accurate”to real music, but boy is it seductive and I love it and can’t live without it.

meiatflask
heaudio123
689 posts
 
There is no "soundstage" below about 80-120Hz.

Real stoundstage is a combination of monaural clues, so not really impacted by phase-shift except perhaps at speaker cross-over frequencies and perhaps room nodes, and differential timing, i.e. the time differential of the same signal between your two ears.  Assuming the phase-shift between the two channels is roughly the same, then phase-shift due to amplification will not have a big impact on perceived real soundstage. Artificial sound-stage effects, can be caused by frequency filtering mainly through the mid-range, i.e. height effects, and distortions, noise, etc. that can give an impression of "space" that was not on the recording.


atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,807 posts
 
There is no "soundstage" below about 80-120Hz.
This is true. But if the low frequency cutoff of the amplification is only 20Hz, phase shift will exist up to 200Hz. Admittedly, not a lot going on there either. But the phase shift can affect impact of bass notes so its worth getting that bit right as well.
sebs
4 posts
 
Heaudio123, I do measure but found that friends in same hobby do not understand graphs, waterfalls in eg REW. Furthermore, once all setup is done mic etc would not be used untill any change to the setup. So firstly lack of knowledge and secondly waste of money for them.
I found aswell that propaly integrated sub add another layer to the sound stage, you are able to sense/know in what kind of space recording took place. Since I move to new home few years ago I start having huge issue in 30hz range and no reasonable bass trap or listening position move could solve it, I start using peq upto 100hz range and difference is staggering, tight, quick, controlled lowest octaves. But as will everything some people would argue that manipulation in signal degrades it, I would say that even if it does, the positive change in overall system sound by eq bass overwhelm potential losses. 
jtgofish's avatar
jtgofish
515 posts
 
DHT preamps produce the most 3D /holographic soundstage.Probably because those same tubes do the same thing when used in power amps.Which is why so many people love SET amplifiers.Except you are better off getting those qualities in your preamp and using any type of power amp that lets those qualities through because SET amplifiers are incredibly speaker fussy.Plus a really good DHT preamp will cost you a lot less than a really good SET power amplifier.
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
I have found my Coincident CSL using the Psvane WE replica 101D tubes to be wonderful with respect to spacial presentation.  
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