2. amps-preamps
  3. 1035988094

Help me with preamp choice.

I am breaking up my large hometheater system. I am just about done with a new room I have added on to my home.I have not had a stand alone two channel system in years.I like all kinds of music. The only equipment I will be takeing to the new room will be my amp,cd player and my main speakers. ( krell ksa 250, sony xa777 and vmps supertower R's ) My cables are harmonic tech interconnects and acustic zen on the speakers. My new room is 27 feet wide 25 feet deep with 10 foot height. I would like to buy used around $1500. Any type of preamp would be considered as long as you thought it would mate well with my amp.
sogood51
mdomnick
332 posts
 
Sonic Frontiers Line 1 or 2 is in your price range and are great pieces. BAT is nice, but don't think you can get one under $2K.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
A descent preamp that do not colour the signal cannot be cheaper than $2k even used. The only way to get a great uncoloured budget performance is to get a passive preamp that will literally smoke anything under $2k. By getting an active preamp you will color the bright Krell even more. There are the following choices to your consearn:
Creek OBH14 - remote volume control/input selector; EVS volume pots(they're very inconvenient but claim to sound superb); McCormack TLC1 with buffered active tape loop; MicCormack micro Line Drive(has both active and passive outs); and finally Placcette that claims to be the best passive preamp with remote.
In order make a successfull setup with passive preamp it is essencial but not urgent to have your amp's input impedance >=40Kohm. If your amplifier has low input impedance 20Kohm or less you can acquire the Musical Fidality X-can tube buffer that will elimitate the impedance mismatch. It can be acquired for bellow $200 in addition to your passive preamplifier. It's more important to have a large enough output from your CD player wich I believe has enough.
sogood51 OP
2,157 posts
 
Marakanetz, my amp has 47K input impedance and my sony book says 2 Vrms ( at 50 kilohms ) analog out. I have never used a passive pre before. Don't know if it is the speakers or the sony but the amp does not sound bright at all. I will do a search on some of your ideas. I have never heard any Placcette gear.
More to discover