@reg19 I also had a Rogue RP-7, which has balanced in and out, and it is a very nice preamp especially considering its price. But it's not in the same league as the Backert Rhythm.
Help recommend a good tube preamp
I am looking for recommendations for a good, fully balanced tube preamp (< $4k - $12k) for my system:
DAC: Holo May
Power amp: Hegel H30 (input impedance (balanced / XLR) = 25k ohms)
Speakers: Focal Maestro Utopia III
Room: 20ft X 21ft
Music: mostly jazz / classical. Some classic rock.
Preamps tried before: McIntosh C2600, Hegel P30, Holo Serene, Rogue RP5
Constraints: output impedance should not be high (as my amplifier’s input impedance is quite low)
I tried C2600 (but with different amp / speakers).
Recently, I tried Rogue RP5 - sounded great but it does not have XLR out (H30’s unbalanced input impedance is a measly 9.6 kilo ohms). So, a natural recommendation would be the Rogue Audio RP7 - except that in the Stereophile review’s measurements section, John Atkinson recommends not using the pre with amps with less than 30k input impedance (affects low frequency response).
Thanks.
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- 66 posts total
@markmuse Thanks. I see the Backert recommendations here. Intriguing. However, apparently, my DAC sounds better in a balanced setup. Also, my amp's balanced inputs sound better than the unbalanced ones. |
@reg19 The Backert Rhythm 1.3 is fully balanced, XLR in and out. That is what I use.
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I just realized that is listed as input impedance. Output is not listed :/ |
- 66 posts total