Best preamp for Dynaco 70: Tube, SS, or passive?

Well... there is no "best." Lots of tube pres work great. One of the really nice things about 70s is that they are so tweakable and there is a lot of support on the net if you are learning. Are you into DIY at all? I suggest a Bottlehead Foreplay Kit at $150. (www.bottlehead.com).

Lots of great tweaks on a 70 available too. You can upgrade your system without ever leaving home! Check out www.soundvalues.com and Triode Electronics at http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html

If you have an old Dyno it's great to have a soldering iron.(not brain surgery)

Sincerely, I remain

Clueless has it, there are no best. Consideration is whether you need phono or not, though you probably would not be considering a passive if you did(duh on my part. Probably I would be looking for and inexpensive active ss, adds a little bass control, St 70 is a great amp, but a little loose on the bottom(can't have everything for that kind of money)plus the headroom gain on the active might be nice versus the passive. Lot of good pre's out there under 200. You will have a nice setup, probably under $1k I bet, definitely could own a lot worse for a lot more.

Why not pair it up with its obvious mate? One of the Dyna PAS preamplifier units should do nicely.

Gthrush1: that's what I (an old PAS)use in w/ mine! I hesitate to tell folk to use what I do because tastes differ but your right - it's obvious and it works! I use mine in my shop and everytime I listen to it reminds me how far the industry has not come and how much money you do not have to spend to get a musical system. I really think the Dyna is a classic. When I bought my new stuff I could not bear to sell it and I have never regretted that decision.

I remain,

Try a Dynaco Pat-5. They're relatively inexpensive and I prefer it by a long shot over the Pas-3X. I have both pre's and use it with a st-70.