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Preamp with tone controls?

Hi guys,

I need help choosing a used preamp to match with a pair of Bryston 7B ST's driving a pair of Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus 801 speakers. I was thinking maybe a Mcintosh C-220 or similar as I think a tube would warm up the sound a little and I will definitely be wanting tone controls. I will consider any high end brand. I'm not sure if the Mcintosh will be outdoing the rest of my system but I do like the idea of a tube with tone controls and I love the VU meters and the overall look of the Mc's. My system is set up in a loft room with an angled ceiling on both sides that I have recently treated with some homemade acoustic panels filled with Rockwool and covered with Cara fabric. Most of what I play still sounds a little bright. The preamp must definitely have tone controls.
I'm not sure what the Mcintosh will cost but my ideal my budget is around the £2000 mark. By the way I'm based in the UK
Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
woody24
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
The Onkyo is first a bargain and second it can give a deep and wide stage. In this price range quite unique.
hifigeek1
770 posts
 
If you don't need a preamp with a remote, consider a used ARC SP-3C. This all tube preamp is a classic and made better in the C version by the use of a FET regulated power supply. The tone controls are defeatable.
polk432
1,142 posts
 
You may want to try a DBX 10/20/EQ. They have an excellent bypass and will not change the sound of your system by simply being hooked up. $350.00 to 400.00 good luck.
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
The Onkyo is really that good? That's one of the preamps I'm looking at at the moment. Which make and model of amp would you pair it with?
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,837 posts
 
Three of my last four preamps have not had tone controls. The one that did was a McIntosh C15 and I never used them. Although I do need EQ, I have a nasty room mode at 40Hz. This is part of the reason I run stand mounted monitors and a sub. I find my best results are driving the mains full range and using a Velodyne SMS 1 to set the low pass crossover and slope plus EQ the sub to the room.
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