2. amps-preamps
  3. 1203165437

Tube Pre-amp BAT, ARC, EAR, Sonic Frontiers

Hello everybody
My system is:
Accuphase dp-57
Electrocompaniet AW120
Usher Audio CP-6381

I need a preamp. After reading lots of topics i marked personally: BAT, Sonic Frontiers, ARC and EAR pre-amps. Does anyone have any ideas which one could match better? Or maybe another suggestion?
Unfortunatly I have no possibility to listen to them in my system. EAR is an exeption. I will listen to EAR-864 tomorrow. But I am more inspired of SF and BAT.
:-)
snarkonmars
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,778 posts
 
Snarkonmars, I don't think SF ever made a balanced preamp, although they have the connections. At least I say that in the context of being fully balanced throughout, like our preamps are.
snarkonmars OP
18 posts
 
what is the advantage of fully balanced preamp then?
cathode
72 posts
 
SF preamps are completely balanced input to output. I have the schematics....
cathode
72 posts
 
One more thing. I found that my sources and preamp sounded unequivocally better with a power regenerator. Tried numerous conditioners, but nothing was as good as complete regeneration. Not really surprising. I use the PS Audio P500; best $600 I've ever spent on audio. You could buy one on the 'gon and sell it for pretty much what you bought it for if you don't like it....
mr_bill
347 posts
 
Cathode,
Are you using the SF Line 3 on regenerated power?
I tried that when I owned an SF Line 3 and the Line 3 sounded much better plugged straight into the wall. It has such a huge separte power supply, my findings were that conditioning made it sound worse.
More to discover