linelevel pre that facilitates balanced bi-amping?

Sean, thanks for your reply. I'm sure your advise has merit. I am trying to help out a friend and I'm sure that by-passing the passive cross-overs in his new speakers are not an option for him.

That's quite a list of "requirements"-- hard to meet them all. If your friend would accept a tubed pre-amp, the Sonic Frontiers Line series of pre-amps could meet all the requirements except, of course they're not solid state. And the stock tubes would have to be changed to get the "warmth" you want.

But the Line series has two pair(s) of XLR terminals out, and a beautiful FULL function remote. It can be warmed up wit NOS tubes, and is available in three models and price levels-- may only be available used in the near term? Good Luck. Craig

You could also use an active crossover like Bryston's. They allow you to set the high and low pass cutoff frequencies. You set the high pass cutoff below the passive internal crossover and the low pass cutoff above the passive internal crossover. This will still provide many of the benifits of a true active crossover setup without having to ruin the market value of the speakers.

Greg

You can add the Aesthetix Callisto to the SF Line 2/3. Actually had an SF 3SE home for extended audition. The Callisto was the only linestage I found that beat it out overall. It was a close thing. If remote had been a big deal the decision might have swung the other way. Both pretty much smoked the ARC LS2B that the Callisto ultimately replaced.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtfull replies. Interestingly enough my friend previously owned a Sonic Frontiers Line 3. He sold all his equipment prior to a recent move. His requirements have made a rather radical change with the purchase of a TacT 2.2.