Maybe I'm asking too many different questions on ONE post - think I'll split this one up and try again...
Affordable Decent Preamp & thoughts on Emotiva XSP-1 vs PS Audio Stellar Gain Stage
Shopping for / Researching a good, solid, Pre-Amp for my system.
Currently using the Pre-Amp stage of a "classic" NAC 7220PE Receiver
AMP = Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 3 (has both Balanced & Unbal Inputs)
Speakers = ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 on stands / Goldenear Amplified Sub
Sources = Bluesound Node 2i / CD / Occasional Phono
System is in my Living Room (NOT Dedicated "listening room"), so speaker placement etc is less than optimal and subject to approval of Wife - so, want something decent but "bleeding edge" would be of little benefit...
Current "Front-Runners" for Pre-Amp (up to around $1500 budget)
EMOTIVA XSP-1:
Likes:
Likes:
Currently using the Pre-Amp stage of a "classic" NAC 7220PE Receiver
AMP = Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 3 (has both Balanced & Unbal Inputs)
Speakers = ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 on stands / Goldenear Amplified Sub
Sources = Bluesound Node 2i / CD / Occasional Phono
System is in my Living Room (NOT Dedicated "listening room"), so speaker placement etc is less than optimal and subject to approval of Wife - so, want something decent but "bleeding edge" would be of little benefit...
Current "Front-Runners" for Pre-Amp (up to around $1500 budget)
EMOTIVA XSP-1:
Likes:
- Fully Balanced (consumer design for low-noise)
- HAS Phono Stage
- Plenty of Inputs and Outputs
- Sub Management
- Remote
- Kinda’ BIG
- Aesthetics - a bit too much Blue LED
- US-Owned company, but made in China
Likes:
- Sleek, Simple design (slimmer / less "gaudy" than EMO)
- PS Audio reputation for Sound Quality tuned by extensive LISTENING
- I can get it at a substantial discount from MSRP
- Appears to have a quality DACT built-in (but, I’m an admitted DACT Noob...)
- Remote
- No built-in Phono (but currently not using it a lot - know I can get affordable external phono stage)
- Wish it had one or two more balanced Inputs for future flexibility
- Seems like "Less for More $$"
- No dedicated / managed output to run my sub (but my sub has Speaker-Level I/O and built-in controls)
- ...
- 12 posts total
- 12 posts total