Anyone using 2 preamps in their rig?

OP, “”My quandary is as I look up the performance ladder the prices get scary.”

Yep, I completely get it. The performance gets more and more satisfying. It’s a question of what you value.

Fairly early in life I realized I really gained great satisfaction from music, literature, photography and astronomy. Also, backpacking, bicycling, SCUBA and mountaineering. So I dropped skiing, parachuting, sailing and some other pursuits. You can’t do them all.

So, I have ridden my bicycles well over 100,000 miles, dove all over the Caribbean and the South Pacific, hiked and mountaineered all over the world and have a world class audio system.

By concentrating on a few things, I have got tremendous rewards from pursuing them. Looking back… very rewarding.

I use 2 pre in one of my systems. Have a McIntosh C52 and utilize a fixed output from the C52 into a C20. It provides the best of both worlds- modern solid state and vintage tube. And both can operate driving different pairs of speakers individually or together. The DAC in the C52 can be used and tone controls on C20 used simultaneously. 

@bigkidz I checked out your wares on your web site and A’gon forum posts. If I were in an audiophile mindset I would be all over your offer. However, I have decided on what audio gear will work long term for me and I am now done buying gear. I am very happy with my selections and have duplicated those selections in my office and Livingroom systems. Time for me to just listen.

My 2 preamp setup phase was when I was trying to figure out what I liked. Today, I have simplified almost everything and happily use 1 preamp.