2. amps-preamps
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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?
phd
clio09
3,360 posts
 
Mine cost a little extra because I had George wire it with 2 volume controls. He referred me to Allied Electronics for a Stancor regulated (very important) power supply. Mine is also wired with the center pin negative on the PS since that is the way the Stancor is wired. I've always been curious as to the battery PS, but this time I think I'll leave well enough alone.

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=9289895
clio09
3,360 posts
 
Given the wide array of monitoring positions and speaker locations used by mixing engineers while twiddling the pan pots, it would seem logical that reproducing any perspective of depth and width would vary based upon these unknowable factors.

I'm starting to understand some of this through my friends here, as well as the effect of miking. I'm going to change my speakers out in the near future so I can listen to my Tonian Labs TL-D1's for a bit. At that time I will try the near wall, or even corner placement.
cdc
1,845 posts
 
Thanks Almarg. This was from Sam Tellig's column on the Halcyon passive pre.
He recommended .5m max from the source to pre and 1m max from pre to power amp. Then again I don't understand why you would store e and electronic component in a wine cellar either.
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