Preamp suggestions for Atma-Sphere Class D Monoblocks


As I impatiently await the arrival of my Atma-Sphere class-d monos, I am writing to solicit opinions from experienced members on this site. Balanced inputs and outputs as well as the ability to connect a subwoofer are important. Headphone amp would be nice but not critical. Ditto for built-in phono. These are some of the tube and solid state units I am considering (not necessarily exhaustive):

  1. Atma-Sphere MP-3 mk3.3
  2. Cary SLP-05 (ultimate edition, if I can find a pristine used pair at a good price)
  3. Modwright LS-100
  4. PrimaLuna EVO 400
  5. Supratek - Champagne or 6SN7 Cabernet - I have no idea what the difference between these two are and the website is not helpful at all
  6. Anthem STR
  7. Benchmark LA-4/HPA-4
  8. Bryston BR-20 (or one of their purely analog variants - BP-19?) - I am hesitant to bundle streaming and dac into a preamp
  9. NAD M66
  10. ?

I will initially use the Bel Canto DAC2.8 as a dac and preamp with an Auralic Aries G1.1 as the streamer. My speakers are Totem Acoustic Forest Signatures, sub is a REL s/510 that I seldom use. I am unsure whether I can use the speaker level connections with the A-S monos (my current Bel Canto Ref510S class d amp has a chassis grounding screw to which I connect the REL’s ground wire).

Philosophically speaking, I have owned a wide range of equipment over the years - everything from "measurements above all" type gear (a full Benchmark stack), a few tube pieces (PrimaLuna, Tavish Design, Rogue), Class A amplification (Pass Labs XA-30.8) and a completely active Genelec 8351b based system. I seem to be slowly but surely gravitating towards subjectively great sounding gear, regardless of how they measure - the Totems are a case in point. However, I don’t want to find that I have moved too far in any one direction. At the end of the day, I value realism and emotional connection more than the ability to deconstruct the music but I don’t want to listen to a sloppy system that homogenizes everything. I’m sure this is all clear as mud! It is however, a reflection of where I am at the end of 28 years of being on this hamster wheel. All thoughts and suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

Ag insider logo xs@2xsrama

@roxy54 hopefully others get a chance to hear their power amps for what they are...before deciding whether or not to change the sound. 

I love my solid state Van Alstine power amp with a passive pre. The distortion profile of the power amp is just right for me.   

Seanheis1

I have used two different passive pres in the past, and always felt that something was missing, usually body and dimension. I understand why you might like them, but like everything else, there are trade-offs.

@seanheis1

I’m not a fan of passive preamps. And yes, I’ve had the Freya + in my system with a different power amp. I have also had a full Benchmark stack - dac3b, HPA-4 and AHB2. A quick look at my feedback history here and at USAM will reveal the insane number of pieces I have gone through in the last few years. As I wait for the Atma-Sphere MP-3, I am using a Bel Canto Dac2.8 as a preamp and the sound is nothing short of spectacular - without a doubt the best my system has ever sounded. To my mind, the A-S electronics are my destination. I can see changing my digital source  or speakers down the road but not the amps. That’s how strongly I feel about them.

Passive has no sound....so when a person says passive sounds like X....X = the natural sound of the power amp & DAC wink