Two preamps in your system

What a horrible thought. First, you have to get them to run at the same gain. Second, you have to make sure their volume controls track each other (impossible). Third, you have to manipulate two controls when one should do.

Finally, this old canard about tubes on top and SS on the bottom is just that today. There are preamps of each category that serve the entire spectrum superbly, if somewhat differently.

Agree with Kr4.. At least for 2 channel stereo operation, Bi-Pre amping is not the same as Bi amping. It could be thought of as similar in the sense of running top/bottom controls, but system matching of gain,impedence,and balance would be inaccurate and just plain incoherent. Its difficult enough to get a properly set up bi-amp system to sound good.

im curious as to what you hope to gain by trying this.

mike

Hi Mitch,

Back in the early eighties I did use two preamps in the same system. I used a conrad-johnson PV6mc for the phono section patched in through the tape monitor of an Infinity FET preamp. The CJ had good qualities for the phono yet the Infinity was very dynamic and had much better bottom end. That combination did work rather well for my system at the time.

Best,

Barry Kohan

I'm not trying to achieve anything....just wondering if anyone had tried it. I understand that it's basic human nature to be skeptical of things out of the norm....I'm sure the guys that first proposed bi-amping were met with skepticism also. A lot of ideas that are bantered back and forth here are hotly debated, and I think that's one of the things that lead to people trying new things and maybe discovering something beneficial for the hobby as a whole.

The beautiful thing about all of this is...all opinions are welcome.....but be careful of knocking anything before you try it. I haven't tried it, the idea seems intriguing though.