2. amps-preamps
  3. 1401411494

Your thoughts on a Django Passive Preamp.


I'm thinking of getting a Django but cannot find any upto date posts about it do we have any owners?

I'm going to replace my BAT VK5i with it. I have 3 sources

1) Mitchell Gyro SE turntable through an EAR 834P then to the BAT using 1.5 mtr Cardas Neutral Reference.

2) Harman Kardon Citation 23 Tuner with 1/2 mtr Cardas Neutral Reference.

3) Sony SCD 777es 1 mtr Cardas Neutral Reference.

From the Preamp I have 2.5 mtr Cardas Neutral Reference to a pair VTL 450 Sig's and then via 2 mtr Cardas Neutral Reference speaker cables to a new pair of Magnepan 1.7's (I hope).

Is this a good or a foolish move. At 72 there are great chunks of the Audio Spectrum I nolonger hear so I'm hoping these changes will expand the sound stage and enhance the bits I can hear. Also I'm curious as to what I've been missing.

Any and all comments will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Alan.
acass
acass OP
1 posts
 
Hello Herb,

It seems to make sense to remove the preamp and just have a volume control and a selector switch between your source and your amp. Then I read other peoples post saying they don't like the sound without their pre, so I,m conflicted.

I don't want to pay an arm and a leg and find out I don't like it. Then again I could get one of the less expensive ones.

I want 3 xlr inputs even if they are not truly balanced. I want to use the interconnects I'm using now.

If these are my only problems then life is good.

Cheers,
Alan.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Hi Alan, it a hell of a lot cheaper to try a passive pre (quality 10kohm log pot) than an active preamp, and to keep trying different active preamps till your happy, as they all sound different. None have famous preamp saying, the sound of a "straight wire with gain". Saying that I'm not a believer of transformer (TVC) based passive preamps as you mentioned, as they have their own sound/s too.

Nelson Pass (Threshold, Pass Labs) is regarded by many as the most knowledgeable designer in Audio. Here's what he has to say about passive preamps.

"Nelson Pass,
We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.
Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.
Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.
What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.
And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp."

Cheers George
hcalland
39 posts
 
Hi George

I am late on this, but you are right-on with your response.
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