Preamp recommendation

Doesn't Van Alstine have some items the OP might look into?  The FET/valve CFR is $2099 w/o phono.  Seems worth a look.   I found a C-J PV-11 in good working order and my preamp search is over.

vette5451 OP
@georgehifi
Thanks for the links and suggestions for passive.

Yes, when you have 4v output from the phono stage, and your amp only needs 1v for full output, it's a no brainer.
Any active preamp with even more gain that goes between is a backwards step in sound quality, unless you "want" to hear more noise, distortion and coloration.

Nelson Pass,

“We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.

Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.

Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.

What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.

And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp.”

Cheers George

"A couple of extra criteria is the preamp needs to have remote and preferred balanced."

Why "balanced" unless you intend on running running LONG IC cables (can't imagine you have been with the current passive)?

Just curious.

DeKay

"A couple of extra criteria is the preamp needs to have remote and preferred balanced."

Try here, sure they’ll be what you need.
https://www.google.com/search?q=passive+preamp+with+remote&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU927AU927&sourc...



Here’s one balanced https://luminousaudio.com/collections/axiom-ii-passive-preamp/products/axiom-ii-passive-preamp-walke...

And one SE https://luminousaudio.com/collections/axiom-ii-passive-preamp/products/axiom-ii-passive-preamp-walke...

Cheers George

@dekay 

good question... I bought a cheap passive from Amazon that was xlr to try. It was the Nobsound Mini Fully-Balanced/Single-Ended Passive Preamp.

 The preamp doesn’t sound bad but a friend of mine brought over a Parasound C1 to try. We put it in direct/analog mode and connected via xlr. The sound difference was incredible with the biggest change in the wide soundstage.

 This has what started the path to invest in a good preamp.