What qualities stand out in really good solid state preamps?


Recently I posted on the Herron HL-1, asking people what they thought, how it compared, etc. It's been sold and that's ok. The search continues. 

But it raises a question I'd like to ask folks:

What attributes do you look for in a good solid state preamp?

Some qualities — quietness, durability, seem pretty obvious.

But what other criteria do you use to differentiate between solid state preamps?

How can they differ and what matters to you?

Please let me know!

P.S. As I've looked around, I've begun to learn more about some of the legendary preamps — made by companies such as Threshold, Ayre, Bryston, Pass, Apt-Holman, and others. It's good to have these names as references, but it would be even more useful if I knew what these brands conveyed, sonically. I've played with the idea of getting a newer Schiit preamp and then I wonder -- what if there's a "classic" preamp out there, used? What would it deliver that was worth searching for?

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"Neutral" as compared to what?

Who set the industry standard baseline reference as to what neutral really is. 

This is the funnest and funniest part of the whole (hole) discussion. 🤣 

 

exactly why we  ( some of us ) and in industry make own reference recordings and or sponsor same…..

coloration starts with microphone selection and placement…..

yes…there are a few companies chasing accurate…..

but frequent doses of live unamplified music in varied reverberant spaces in a variety of genres will do wonders in your search for…… ? 

OP…”That sets a benchmark for those sorts of concerts; but does it do for mixed, PA-driven live music, EDM, etc. what it does for acoustic music concerts?”

 

Actually, if you think about it, by having a true reference for your system vs the real acoustic world… then you have calibrated your system for all music…and it is going to be correctly interpreting music of any genre.  Then if it was mastered incorrectly… well, it was mastered with a bias. 
 

To get amplified / studio music correct, you would have to reproduce the same electronics / speaker system they were mastered on… and it would only be good for that studio.