Don’t know about "best" but pretty darn good. Consider auditioning a Schiit Freya. $700 bucks new with a 5 year warranty. 15 days to make up your mind. Run signal to it 24/7 for 10 days. You’ll have 5 for critical listening. If you keep it, replace the stock tubes (probably advisable; stock tubes can be noisy) with some better NOS 6SN7 options. Has 2 pairs of single-ended out + 1 pair of balanced out (all outputs always ’on’). Two pair balanced inputs + 3 pair single-ended inputs. High quality, resistor-based stepped attenuator for volume control (128 steps). Can run as pure passive, JFET buffered or tube mode (14 db gain). Very responsive to wire changes and very, very quiet even with very affordable new production EH 6SN7s. You can always spend more if you must but definitely worth a listen.
Best balanced linestage/preamp for $4000 or less ???
Hey all !! So I need some help with choosing a preamp, preferably tube, that's a true balance design in and out.. For a 2.1 speaker system.. Need a sub so it'll have to have dual outputs running in parallel if that's the right term to use.. It'll have to have single ended inputs and outputs also.. I use an Oppo205 (Modwright) in the front end for everything digital coming in, movies and music.. But I do my critical listening with music so I use the modded portion of the 205 for that (balance output) and for movies/tv want to use the unmodded single ended outputs..
I have a Classe CA2200 amp and Salk bookshelf speakers and a sub (single ended input)..
I know BAT is out there.. VK31se I'm looking at and some older Audio Research but read them are unreliable.. Anything else anyone else have some experience with ? Will take your opinions seriously as that's how I chose my current equipment... thanks
I know there's some good stuff single ended but I really want a well balance system through out with my music listening..
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- 74 posts total
- 74 posts total