2. amps-preamps
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How important is the pre-amp?

Hello all,

Genuine request here for other's experiences.

I get how power amps can make really significant changes to the sound of a system. And of course speakers have an even bigger effect. And then there is the complicated relationship between the speaker and power amp. But I wonder about pre-amps.

In theory a well designed preamp should just act as a source switch and volume control. But does it add (or ruin) magic? Can a pre-amp color the sound? Alter pace and timing? Could you take a great sounding system and spoil it with the wrong preamp? Stereophile once gushed (while reviewing a preamp that cost as much as a car) that the preamp was the heart of the system, setting the tone of everything. Really? Some people don't even bother with a preamp, feeding their DACs straight into the power amp. Others favor passive devices, things without power. If one can get a perfectly good $2K preamp, why bother with 20K?

What your experiences been?
128x128rols
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,469 posts
 
It depends.  There are amps out there that are designed and work well with the preamp stage in many sources like DACs.  This is not always the case though.  I have had serious issues with matching DAC preamp stages to SETs for instance.  

If the volume control in a DAC is good, you don't need an analog input and the output from the DAC is well suited to the power amp you don't need a preamp. 

Secondarily though, many preamps do add some coloration.  For many this is a strike against them.  For others, this is an essential role but this is strictly a matter of taste.  
coralkong's avatar
coralkong
600 posts
 
I'd say the impact of the pre-amp is "Huge" in your system.
Probably second only to your speakers.
unsound
7,315 posts
 
From integral to superfluous to hindrance. It’s system dependent.
sns
3,003 posts
 
I've long thought of them as heart of system. An active pre certainly has flavor which can be a wonderful or bad thing. Get it right, you'll love your system more than sans pre. With advent of digital volume control, I see many foregoing pre, they're missing out, imo.
The issue is wrong or bad active pre worse than no pre.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
In theory a well designed preamp should just act as a source switch and volume control.

Correct. Only problem, it takes about $20k to attain "in theory". For much less you get a whole big long list of sacrifices and compromises. In other words, "reality".     

PS- Even for $20k all you get is a much shorter list of smaller sacrifices and compromises. There is no "in theory". That's the reality.

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