2. amps-preamps
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Is the preamp the “heart” of the system?

For many years my preamp was a passive devise. I was in love with the transparency. Then one day I to try an active one. With so many Stereophile “the best at any price” rave reviews I decided to go with the Audible Illusions M3B with the John Curl phono boards. I was thrilled! Finally I understood. They  sound finally had meat on the bones and a musicality that I was missing. And it was just as transparent! I guess the preamp IS the heart.

mglik
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
The Heart? Yo could just as easily say the amp is the heart. In reality it is the Speakers that are the heart as they determine the type of sound you have more so than any other component.
limomangus's avatar
limomangus
1,460 posts
 
I say it's the brains of your system it gives the orders you tell it to do.
mesch
3,527 posts
 
I use a tube pre in a digital based system. I believe the preamp serving as the 'heart ' of a system stems back to vinyl/tape only playback. Now days there is more debate on this. That said I can't see myself going with a passive pre in this system.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,948 posts
 
@mijostyn  If we are using an anatomy analogy then the amps and speakers are more like the leg muscles and legs themselves. They won't do much if they don't get a signal- and the key to that is a good preamp, one that is transparent enough that a passive can't compete (there are also active preamps with which a passive can compete easily...).
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Out here in the Pacific NW the hydroelectric dam is the heart of the system, pumping out the electrons the whole system runs on.
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