2. amps-preamps
  3. 1401877148

Any thoughts on removing a preamp from your system

Hello guys

This is my first post and I have been on Audiogon for a number of years now.

My question to the group is, have any of you removed your preamp completely from your system? Run your front ends straight to your amp? And, what benefits have you noticed, if any.

And finally, if you have used a passive preamp in your system, what are your thoughts on the setup?

I understand one would need to have some sort of "pot" in the signal path to regulate volume.

Herb
hcalland
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
06-05-14: Stewie
I have a passive pre in my system right now and the music sounds great: tubes on the top end, ss on the bottom, and I have no idea whether impedance matches or doesn't match


Hi Stewie, if you tell me the input impedance of both your tube and SS amps, and the output impedance of your source. I can let you know if your bi-amped system is passive friendly and with what value passive pot.

Cheeers George
stewie
187 posts
 
Hi George,
Tube tops have 470k ohm input impedance; ss bottom has a 50k input impedance. Passive pre is a Canary CA-200. Thanks.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Stewie hi, you have no problems as far a I can see with these impedances.

Interconnect capacitance is the more important factor to you as you are bi-amped.
From the Carnary to your amps, because you are (bi-amped) and using two x interconnects per channel, I would use interconnects of 2mts or less, and of less than <50pf (picofarad) capacitance per ft. If only using 1mt lengths, then 100pf per ft is fine. This is so you will maintain proper high frequency extension.
Any decent interconect maufacturer should know this and should have it on their specs

Cheers George
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,588 posts
 
Good stuff!
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
I was preampless for years and recently added a preamp and am in heaven. I was under the impression the preamp was like adding "steroids" but it was more like adding vitamins.
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