2. amps-preamps
  3. 1266441149

Preamp advice needed

I sold my B&W Nautilus 803's here several years ago. I needed the money but I really miss them and very much regret selling them. I have a pair of Nautilus 805's to get me by until I manage to get something closer to my 803s. I also have a Rotel RB1090 2 channel amp that I don't plan on replacing. It's a good amp. My CD player is an Adcom GCD 750. I also have some pretty decent Audioquest interconnects and speaker cables and an M&K V125 sub. For some time now I've been using the preamp side of my Rotel RA-985BX integrated. It's not too bad. But I'd really like to replace it with a nice preamp. I'm not interested in home theatre equipment. I just want a nice 2 channel preamp that I can also connect my sub to. I listen to a very wide variety of music from classical to hard rock. Sometimes it's loud but mostly it's at an average listening level. There are so many choices out there I don't even know where to begin. I'm willing to spend up to around $1000 for something used. I was thinking tube. I had heard a CJ PV10 a long time ago so I was headed in that direction but I never heard it on my equipment. Not sure i'd be happy with tube anyway but maybe I would. Just not enough experience with them and not sure how that would go with what i have now. I have seen some Krell's on here for what seem like good prices. I mention Krell because I had heard some Krell equipment several years ago and liked what I heard. I'm sure that the KRC-3 would blow away the preamp side of my Rotel integrated. And FWIW I love the Krell styling and am a big fan of "Forbidden Planet" LOL. Anyway, I was hoping that I could get some good advice from some people here. When I look for solid pre's in the $1000 range here I see many that I've never even heard the names of before. I don't care about remote control but it could be nice. I do hook my current system up to my video equipment and watch movies in 2 channel so I want enough connections to handle a few line level inputs. I don't need phono. Thanks in advance for any advice. -keith
udo
udo OP
8 posts
 
My Rotel RA-985BX integrated doesn't have a separate sub out. I split the output for the speakers. So I guess I could still do that if I had to. Not a big deal. My sub has left/right inputs. I assume when you say dual volume you are talking about 1 for the main and one for the sub? If that's the case, yeah, that would bother me I think.

I know it's over the price I said before but I was thinking about the Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS line-stage preamp that's listed here. The shop where I got my Rotels and B&W's used to sell CJ and some of the guys there were of the opinion that CJ pre's worked nicely with Rotel amps. And by the way, the RB1090 is not super high end but it's rated quite a bit higher than it would seem. When I had it hooked up to my Nautilus 803's, the soundstage was quite good; not at all flat IMO. I remember people saying that the RB1090 was quite a surprise. Very high quality for $2000 (new).
elevick
2,636 posts
 
Ok, I just went through the ads here. These are the 3 I would get for under $1k: VTL, BAT & Manley Shrimp. The BAT is a tank and only 1 set of outputs. That leaves the VTL and the Manley with dual sets of outputs. Now we are down to personal taste. I'd gladly take either one.

By the way, dual volume controls: I was talking about Audible illusions with a right and left volume. I hate that.
energizer
113 posts
 
udo,bottlehead will give you great instructions and components.as well as the cabinet.i just bought a foreplay rev2.kit price was i49. i paid 155.not bad since it was already built.sound quality has to be heard vto be belived.
udo OP
8 posts
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice. This has definitely been helpful. I don't get into the one good shop (the one I like anyway) around here much any more. And of course when I do, as nice and helpful as they have always been, they understandably want to talk about what they sell, which doesn't cover all the options out there. I'm glad I thought to look for a forum on Audiogon.

I gotta say, Energizer, that you've intrigued me. I may end up going the Bottlehead route. I've read some other reviews and so far as I can tell, the value:cost ratio is much higher than that of the old Heathkits. And I did used to enjoy building them. Would also be cool to do a somewhat customized enclosure.

Nobody's commented on my Krell or CJ ideas. I like the styling of both but of course that's not my main criteria. Maybe they're overpriced for older equipment? Maybe they're just more name brandish and not as good as some of the more obscure names? Still wondering what anyone has to say about those.
energizer
113 posts
 
udo,i dont think you will regret it.if you do you can sell it easily .who knows i may buy it.
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