2. amps-preamps
  3. 169516-164593

Cary Audio SLP-05 or Conrad Johnson ET7 S2

I’m not in a hurry to add a preamplifier to my existing system which consist of a Brinkmann Nyquist DAC and a Decware 341.5 tube amp.  But…I do have the itch.  I’ve searched all over the net for reviews and comparisons but did not find anything persuasive.  I will purchase used and on Audiogon, each is available at around $6500.  Any guidance would be appreciated.
langla4
lwin's avatar
lwin
576 posts
 
They are both good preamps but I like to have separate power supplies whenever possible so I would lean toward the Cary. 
langla4 OP
43 posts
 
Charles 1 Dad:  Thank you SO Much for pointing out the gain issue.  It’s exactly why I asked for help from this forum.  I’ll expand my search to stay at or below 10db of gain.  BTW, I have extremely sensitive Lii Audio Silver 10 speakers-I seem to remember the rating at about 96db.
avanti1960
1,500 posts
 
@langla   
your decware amp appears to be an intrgrated amp and does not have high level preamp inputs.  
if it did the gain issue would not be a problem with the cary because it has adjustable gain. 
you could consult with decware, i bet they could easily modify the amp to accept preamp inputs.  
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
@langla4,
You are welcome. I was in that very situation years ago and learned from it😊. I am very confident that you will find the right solution to make this audio system work quite splendidly. You’ve already made some very good decisions based on what you currently have.

@avanti1960, what are the selectable gain settings for the Cary SLP-05 ?
Charles

avanti1960
1,500 posts
 
charles,
gain is continuously variable- 0 to max on the dual front controls.  
right now i have them set to half 
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