Which of These Budget SS Preamps?


Hi all,
I am trying to help my friend find a good solid-state budget preamp. His system consists of a Parasound HCA-3500 power amp, Sony SCD-XA9000ES CD/SACD player, Paradigm Reference Studio 100v.2 speakers, and Signal Cable speaker cables, interconnects, and power cords.
Above all, he wants outstanding top-end extension, transparency, outstanding detail, speed, focus, and great bass.
I do not know anything about budget preamps.
His current list consists of:
Adcom GFP-750
Marsh P2000B
Parasound Halo P-3
Parasound P/LD-2000
PS Audio
Rotel RC-1090
Which of the above would best fit the above criteria that I named?
To those who have compared some of these preamps to one another, what are the sonic differences between them?
Thank you all so much for your help!
Angela
audio_girl
The only one I have heard is the Rotel. It would be an OK match with the Paradigms. Be careful as the Paradigms can be very bright, if not harsh with the wrong components. I use to own the Studio 40's and really only liked them when I had tube equipment driving them. Good luck.
The only one of those on your list I've owned is the Parasound P/LD 2000 and it's a fine preamp but one I like better is the McCormack TLC-1. It's a beautifully built piece of gear that completely got out of the way of the music in my system. They can often be found for around $350, a real bargain, and can be upgraded by SMCaudio if you like.
Luminous Audio Axiom preamp <150.00. Best pre for the money. Passive and only one input.
For what he is looking for the Adcom GFP-750 is really quite good - if I recall correctly it was designed by Nelson Pass. It should fit the sonic characteristics you say he is looking for. Good luck.
I will second the Adcom GFP-750. It's a lot of preamp, offering excellent performance for the money (particularly if purchased used). My second choice would be the Marsh.

If we depart from your list, however, you should seriously consider the Bryston BP-25. There is a new listing here on A-gon for a BP-25 priced at $995. I would choose the Bryston before any of the preamps you listed.