2. amps-preamps
  3. 137785-90014

SS Preamp to go with Revel Salon 2s

I was recently lucky enough to find a pair of Revel Salon 2's at a local dealer for an excellent price.  They took my Focal Electra 1028BE II's in on trade to help the transaction along and it was at a price I just couldn't pass up.  So I now have my forever speakers.  (hahaha....I think)  Now it's time to upgrade to a separate Stereo Preamp.  I'm currently running my music thru a Blusound Node 2 > Emotiva XMC-1 Processor > Emotiva XPR-2 amp.  There will be more upgrades such as a dedicated DAC and amps in the future, but am starting with the Preamp. 

I'll run the preamp in HT Bypass mode as my 2 channel rig will be integrated with my HT rig.  Not lucky enough to have an entirely separate 2 channel listening space.  Given his, I want to go with SS preamp and not tubes.

My budget is $5000. Willing to stretch a little if needed.  I've narrowed down my list to the following:
Ayre K5XE MP, KX-5 Twenty (Used)
McIntosh C48 & C52
Pass XP20 
BAT VK42SE

Looking for anyone that may have experience comparing these preamps and gather thoughts from the community on which of these would pair best with the Salon 2s and the Emotiva amp.  DAC as next step will be either a Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ or Schiit Yggy.  2 channel amp after DAC will be of the same manufacturer that I end up going with on the Preamp. 

Thanks in advance for you suggestions!
snafujg
spinaker01
491 posts
 
Well, congrats on the Salons, excellent speakers. I’m not sure anything from Emotiva is going to show what these speakers can really do however. You will get many, many opinions about whether to upgrade pre or power first, so I’ll chime right in. The Salon 2 are bitches to drive with an insatiable hunger for watts due to their low sensitivity, and a equal hunger for current delivery due to their impedance curve dipping into the 2-3 ohm territory. Unless you are happy listening at very low levels, you will need an amp with some serious grunt to drive them so I would start the search there. All of the brands you mention have amps that could fit this bill within your budget if you stick to the used market. I’m not sure anything less than 200-300 Watts should be considered, check the many threads on driving the Salons. Once the amp situation is sorted you can look at tweaking the subtler aspects of the amplification delivery with an appropriate pre amp. Keep in mind that any money spent on good electronics will be well rewarded with these speakers as they are a still a class A product after 10 years on the market without updates. 
soix
9,456 posts
 
I'm probably gonna get flogged for recommending this for these excellent speakers, but here goes anyway.  The Lyngdorf TDAI-3400 integrated (yeah, it's an integrated) puts out 200wpc into 8 Ohms and doubles down to 4 Ohms, so plenty of power.  It also incorporates a high-quality DAC, so in one fell swoop you're getting an amp, pre, and DAC, and you get all this new for $6500.  But here's the real kicker -- it also includes top-notch room correction.  And although I'm as sensitive as the next audiophile to the sonic differences between manufacturers, the profound differences I've heard room correction make has dwarfed the relative sonic differences between manufacturers -- well, at least solid state manufacturers.  And I'd argue room correction is even more important and effective with full-range speakers like the Salons.  Anyway, given you need all this gear I thought this could be a very elegant and cost-effective all-in-one solution.  Read the reviews of this or the 2170 to get an idea of performance, and maybe there's a way to demo one at home since it's a relatively small and light product.  Ok, that's all I got -- let the flame throwing begin!
snafujg OP
34 posts
 
The XPR line of Emotiva amps is/was their best ever.  Weighing in at 100 lbs, the XPR-2 pushes 600 watts at 8 ohms, 1000 watts at 4 ohms.  It's enough to push the Salons even at high volumes. I agree that there's better out there from these manufacturers, but I feel the XPR-2 is good enough for now.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
+1 soix! A very good recommendation!
mtrot
804 posts
 
Since some of your options include DACs, the new Anthem STR pre-amp is getting good reviews, and has a nice DAC and phono input.  And HT bypass, of course.
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