@kalali
Black isn't a "must", but it's an easier sell.
Black isn't a "must", but it's an easier sell.
Preamp for ATC SCM 19v2 and Merrill Thor mono's?
Recently moved to a new place and I now have a dedicated 2-channel listening "area". Area is one 11 x 11 foot section of a great room. Depth is 24 feet but my chair is at about 11 feet from the wall I'm facing. So I'm not too far from the speakers but the room is roughly 24 x 40!
Currently, I'm feeding the Merrill's directly via an Oppo Sonica DAC with a hard drive full of hi-res files. I have a turntable (budget entry level) so a phono stage is a plus, but not mandatory. I'm more likely to use the convenience of the Sonica app to surf the 15k hi res tracks than I am to put some vinyl down.
My desire to get a dedicated pre and use the Oppo as a pass through DAC are to get better soundstage and perhaps a less clinical sound (yes, I knew the ATC's were revealing when I bought them).
I'd prefer that the pre have balanced outputs as that's what I have for my better stash of interconnects or I'd need to get some decent unbalanced interconnects.
Budget range is $3k +/-, bonus points awarded for being lower. Pre-loved gear is fine.
Tube or solid state, though I've never owned a tube piece of equipment so this might be a good opportunity (ATC 85 dB efficiency makes a tube amp a bit harder to make work).
Thanks for the suggestions.
Currently, I'm feeding the Merrill's directly via an Oppo Sonica DAC with a hard drive full of hi-res files. I have a turntable (budget entry level) so a phono stage is a plus, but not mandatory. I'm more likely to use the convenience of the Sonica app to surf the 15k hi res tracks than I am to put some vinyl down.
My desire to get a dedicated pre and use the Oppo as a pass through DAC are to get better soundstage and perhaps a less clinical sound (yes, I knew the ATC's were revealing when I bought them).
I'd prefer that the pre have balanced outputs as that's what I have for my better stash of interconnects or I'd need to get some decent unbalanced interconnects.
Budget range is $3k +/-, bonus points awarded for being lower. Pre-loved gear is fine.
Tube or solid state, though I've never owned a tube piece of equipment so this might be a good opportunity (ATC 85 dB efficiency makes a tube amp a bit harder to make work).
Thanks for the suggestions.
- ...
- 17 posts total
@ghosthouse I am trying my best to stick to my guns on balanced, but that makes it harder, budget-wise. Any of the BAT tube preamps worth a look? The black audio research pre offered used locally (dealer trade in) is a Ref 3, not Ref 5. Asking is just under $4k. Is that worth a look? Maybe I can convince them to let me try it for a week or two in my system to see if it’s a good fit. Really don’t want to try the fuzzy logic to swing that deal though... the same high-end store has an AR LS-27 (silver) and a McIntosh C2200 available. I’ve never been a McIntosh kind of guy (just no experience with them) but having the MM phone section is a plus, especially since my turntable is nothing special (so it doesn’t warrant a $$$ phone pre). I think I need to suck it up and schlep to the store (traffic isn’t my friend) and discuss. |
FYI, here's a link to the Sachs SP14 preamp I mentioned earlier. Only reason I'm forwarding is that one of the customer reviewers (toward the bottom) compares it to both ARC and PrimaLuna preamps he owns that might be of interest. http://www.tubes4hifi.com/SP14.htm |
Thanks @soix I did read that review and it was interesting. I love the boutique nature of the Sachs SP14, but I really want to stay with a balanced pre. If I were going single ended, I think I'd have to seriously consider the Linear Tube Audio microZOTL 2.0 line stage, especially since it is made here in the DC area. https://www.stereophile.com/content/linear-tube-audio-microzotl20-line-stageheadphone-amplifier |
- 17 posts total