Great performing Pre Amp in a full size chassis?

[Oski1928]

I’m considering changing my system around and building a system where each component measures excellently. In searching for a pre amp it would seem that the Topping Pre90 would be a no brainer, but aesthetics are very important to me.

I’m looking for a pre amp in a normal size chassis that performs in a similar ballpark to the Pre90. The Benchmark pre amp seems to be the next best option but I really do not like the look of it. Any other recommendations?

I’ll add that a home theater bypass would be an excellent feature for me.

Edit: if anyone comes back to this title page or if anyone new joins in. I am considering the Benchmark LA4 despite not loving the looks and the price being a little higher than I’d like (I would try and find a nice open box unit if I went with it). My question is if there is any way it can be used in a home theater bypass configuration? And if no, can a power amp with a set of rca and xlr inputs have two sources connected at once (one rca pair and one xlr pair? For instance a receivers pre outs into the rca and a stereo pre amp into the xlr?

 

[dualazmak]

How about Accuphase C-3900?

 

[SIY]

I have a Hypex preamp here which is 42cm x 34cm x 7.2cm. Would you consider that "normal" size?

 

[Chrispy]

How about Accuphase C-3900?
View attachment 255482

Nice looking as far as boxes of electronics go....altho splashing the "precision bla bla" across the front is kinda tacky. Likely awesome construction and spec. Then I looked at the price. LOL. Don't imagine many would be routing their purchase of one of these to Amir....but would be nice.

 

[Oski1928]

How about Accuphase C-3900?
View attachment 255482

$50,000?

 

[dualazmak]

Then I looked at the price. LOL.

Fully agree, Accuphase gears are rather expensive, but it includes their service and maintenance policy/practice.

I wrote here;
Accuphase provides repair and maintenance services for any of their past and present products sold in the past 50 years. Just one phone call to Accuphase, and they collect the amps (by the specially contracted transfer company having huge Accuphase boxes) at your home and they send it back to you afterwards; usually within one week quick and perfect service (in Japan) in reasonable cost after the warranty period. Of course the service is completely free within the warranty period.

I did it three times on my E-460; Accuphase's own decision to replace one capacitor (after the warranty period but of course free; a kind of gentle/generous preventive recall?), one repair for my mistake (short-circuit at SP terminals while operation) and one full overhaul maintenance.

They have several large storage rooms keeping huge amount of amp parts, including rather old capacitors, resistors, inductors and so on, used in their old products. In case if they cannot find the same parts, sometimes they even handmade it (by themselves or by contract-out) for perfect repair and maintenance, still in reasonable cost for us.

Their comparably high price list includes the cost covering such repair/maintenance policy, operation, human resources and services, I believe.

These policy and practice are of course the same for overseas users through the appointed dealers.

And I also wrote here;
Accuphase is intentionally restricting their export sales less than 30 % of their total business revenue in order to keep existing as an pure Japanese independent sustainable company;
http://www.accuphase.com/company_profile/a2_management_policies_2.pdf

 

[Chrispy]

Fully agree, Accuphase gears are rather expensive, but it includes their service and maintenance policy/practice.

I wrote here;
Accuphase provides repair and maintenance services for any of their past and present products sold in the past 50 years. Just one phone call to Accuphase, and they collect the amps (by the specially contracted transfer company having huge Accuphase boxes) at your home and they send it back to you afterwards; usually within one week quick and perfect service (in Japan) in reasonable cost after the warranty period. Of course the service is completely free within the warranty period.

I did it three times on my E-460; Accuphase's own decision to replace one capacitor (after the warranty period but of course free; a kind of gentle/generous preventive recall?), one repair for my mistake (short-circuit at SP terminals while operation) and one full overhaul maintenance.

They have several large storage rooms keeping huge amount of amp parts, including rather old capacitors, resistors, inductors and so on, used in their old products. In case if they cannot find the same parts, sometimes they even handmade it (by themselves or by contract-out) for perfect repair and maintenance, still in reasonable cost for us.

Their comparably high price list includes the cost covering such repair/maintenance policy, operation, human resources and services, I believe.

These policy and practice are of course the same for overseas users through the appointed dealers.

And I also wrote here;
Accuphase is intentionally restricting their export sales less than 30 % of their total business revenue in order to keep existing as an pure Japanese independent sustainable company;
http://www.accuphase.com/company_profile/a2_management_policies_2.pdf

Impressive in a way, but still not worth the price.

 

[Doodski]

DrOOL! This pre-amp is a de facto standard. Gold PCBs, balanced throughput. Very pretty too.

 

[dualazmak]

As I wrote here and other posts in my project thread;
I am an end user audio enthusiast and I have no conflict of interest at all with any of the manufacturers (including Accuphase), import companies, distributors and audio shops relevant to this post. This post is not intending to intensively share objective and/or subjective evaluations of the candidate amplifiers, but I would like to share about how I would test and try candidate amplifiers in this project.

 

[dualazmak]

One of the review reports on Accuphase C-3900; looks @Doodski also visited:
https://positive-feedback.com/high-fidelity/accuphase-c-3900-line-preamplifier/

 

[Chrispy]

One of the review reports on Accuphase C-3900; looks @Doodski also visited:
https://positive-feedback.com/high-fidelity/accuphase-c-3900-line-preamplifier/

I like the price better in this article.

 

[dualazmak]

I like the price better in this article.

Agree, the price would vary depending on where do you live, and currency exchange rate, of course.

 

[Doodski]

Hmmmz... No price given @ Canadian web sites...

ACCUPHASE C-3900 PRECISION PREAMPLIFIER CALL FOR PRICING!

Add to shopping cart is not available for all Accuphase Products, Please call or email us to place your orders and for latest pricing. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Accuphase's founding, the development of a new flagship model to incorporate the entire wealth of the company's experience...

vinylsound.ca

C-3900 Preamplifier

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Accuphase's founding, the development of a new flagship model to incorporate the entire wealth of the company's experience was begun. Now, after five years, the work is complete. The C-3900 represents an uncompromising harmony of technology and sensibility...

altitudoaudio.ca

 

[Chrispy]

Agree, the price would vary depending on where do you live, and currency exchange rate, of course.

Date as well....that article is fairly recent, but...

 

[dualazmak]

Remarks for Accuphase C-3900:

 

[dshreter]

How about NAD C658?

Full size component, includes Dirac, balanced outputs, plenty of digital and analogue inputs. Seems like a lot to like.

 

[TonyJZX]

am i reading this right?

OP wants a preamp of a similar cost to a $700 topping

ASR recommends a $50,000 accuphase battleship yamato

 

[pma]

18 dB gain and 292 mV input sensitivity of C-3900 will be impractical with current DAC sources. The result will be unnecessary rise of noise and parameter degradation. And the parameters shown are not SOTA. It is too complicated for a preamp.

 

[JiiPee]

For full-size pre-amp with strong visual presence, maybe a Rotel RC-1590 MK II

 

[TonyJZX]

i'm guessing OP wants to lose all the networking and dac functions???

i do think there's hole in the market for a good half height analog line stage preamp w/ remote.

Maybe add xlr but it bumps up the price a lot. With all these excellent dacs and streamers I'm ok with no dac.