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Help me with a digital Font end

I'm looking for a good cdp (used $1-1.5k) and a pre-proc which is very good for music (for approx. the same amount of money-used), to match with two Citation 7.1 amps (one to bi-amp mains for music and one to handle HT channels.
Looking for significant upgrade from:
Cambridge Audio D500-SE cdp
Adcom GTP-760 pre/proc
I use system mainly for music (90%)
Looking for units able to get close to the best out of quality speakers such as B&W N804, Von Schweikert VR4 GenII, Vandersteen 3a Sig., Theil 3.6 (speakers in this range)
Any suggestions?
say811
inscrutable
313 posts
 
Your digital or video sources are connected to the prepro, analog sources (including DAC outputs from digital sources)to the 2ch pre. The amp (or amp channels) feeding the L/R mains are fed from the main-outs of the 2ch pre, the amp/channels feeding center and surround speakers are fed by the outputs on the prepro. If the 2ch pre has a processor loop, you'd hook up the L/R main-outs from the prepro to those preamp inputs and simply select that source when viewing sources connected to the prepro. Selecting this processor source bypasses all the pre's circuitry including the volume control. If you do not have a processor loop/input, you can use the tape loop input. However, this means the 2ch pre's volume control is still in the circuit as well, so to maintain correct calibration of the multi-channel setup, you must pick a convenient volume setting on the 2ch pre (say top dead center), and do your calibration and then all subsequent viewing/listening thru the prepro at this same 2ch pre volume setting. Make sense? There's a thread originated by Thomas in Preamps/amps entitled "Well, another preamp/HT integration question ..." you may want to read. Good luck!
Tim
say811 OP
27 posts
 
Inscrutable; many thanks for a very clear explaination, I think this will be a great way for me to go.
Any suggestions/recommendations for a quality pre-amp in the (used) $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 range?

Thanks,

Steve
soix
10,089 posts
 
Sorry if I'm being repetitive here, but the Adcom GFA-750 is widely considered to be an outstanding stereo preamp and it offers an HT pass-through. Very dynamic and transparent. Unless you're looking for tubes I think this one will be tough to beat, and you can get one new for a street price of around $1200(used for around $750 although I wouldn't recommend it) and not have to worry about buying a used preamp. Plus you can probably demo it in your system to see if it works for you before you buy it.

Also in the solid state realm is the McCormack RLD-1 which also has the pass-through feature and is a little more tube-like than the GFA-750. Levinson/Proceed offers a pass-through but I don't know if you could hit your price target even with a used unit. Without the pass-through I'd consider something used from Pass Labs or maybe the Musical Fidelity A3CR.

On the tube side you can find stereo preamps with pass-throughs from Sonic Frontiers, Rogue, BAT, Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson, PSE, VAC, and probably a few others. My top recommendation would be the Adcom for performance, value, and ease of use in an HT application. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Tim(the other Tim)
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