Ig316b, I would agree with you about the TLC-1. I borrowed a CJ PF1 solid state preamp to see if this active preamp would actually sound better than the TLC-1. I gave it 24 hours of continous operation. It was a bit more dynamic but the TLC-1 sounded far better in the midrange/vocals but with a smoother (grain free) top end, also transparency was far better. Now this is the stock TLC-1, I can only imagine how good the TLC-1 would sound with the ultra upgrades. You already know that I like the McCormack products and still own one his amps as well.
Who is using passive preamps and why?
Seldom has there been any discussions on passive preamps in the forums and although my experience with them has been limited I have found them so far to be very enjoyable and refreshingly different. They seem to fall into their own category, somewhere between solid state and tube. Finding a preamp that is satisfing has been difficult. Some active solid state preamps can be very good but they seem to inject grain to some degree in the upper registers and some tube preamps are not too far behind. So far I think they should at least be matched up with an amp that has sufficient gain which is often overlooked. Which passives are you using and with what amp? Why do you like them?
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- 173 posts total
- 173 posts total