Tell me your best preamp

[sumyugm]

If the DAC is your only source, You don't really need an active preamp. A passive preamp with a good quality volume control should be a good choice both from sound quality and from economics point of view.
Here is one from Audiophonics:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/prea...sistor-volume-controller-xlr-rca-p-13183.html

Look like not bad. Thanks.
However, I can’t use 200v supply. I can use only 100-120v supply.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

If the DAC is your only source, You don't really need an active preamp. A passive preamp with a good quality volume control should be a good choice both from sound quality and from economics point of view.
Here is one from Audiophonics:
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/prea...sistor-volume-controller-xlr-rca-p-13183.html

I hate money formats that use comma as a decimal point. Whether the comma is a thousand-th separator or a decimal point is not clear to me.

This is really stupid.
If I saw 1,137,50 euro, what is the second comma supposed to be?

 

[egellings]

My best preamp is my home-brewed one. It sounds good and I gits[sic] to brag "Made it muhself[sic]".

 

[ex audiophile]

I have the LA4 in a Benchmark stack and from a performance point of view I think we'd agree it's superb. However, if you want DSP I think the Anthem STR preamp is the best choice. I have both and prefer the STR because of ARC Genesis (I have subs) and the very convenient user interface with an extensive preference menu. If there's an audible difference between the two I'd argue the STR sounds better due to the changes made possible using ARC Genesis, esp phase matching.

 

[rdenney]

From the archives of Old-Man-Shakes-Fist-At-Clouds:

My best preamp is a B&K Sonata MC101. Strengths include an effective range of inputs, including phono (which I use). It also has tape loop and a separate EQ loop. The line amplifier can be bypass to make it a passive switcher (except for the phono preamp). It has tone controls but they can be bypassed. For weaknesses, it uses standard (but good quality) pots for volume and balance controls, so there is some resistor noise. The headphone amp is separate and decent. It can be had with balanced outputs, but I never see that feature implemented in them, so I built a separate balanced-output converter using THAT chips.

I have preamps from SAE (a P102), Adcom (a GFP 555 and a GFP 565), Onkyo (a 3040), and a Kenwood C1. I like the B&K the best, but I doubt I could hear a difference in a blind test.

For me, a preamp has to provide switching for phono, one or two CD players, a tuner (which I use), a dac from a computer, a quality cassette deck and a quality open-reel deck that are sometimes used for old media. For the tape decks and to provide a separate output for an external headphone amp, I use a dbx400 switching center.

All that is the exact opposite of what young audiophiles would find necessary or acceptable in their minimalist applications.

Rick "whose wife looks at the stereo stack and just rolls her eyes" Denney

 

[sonder]

I using pre main amp TEAC AX-505 with Topping E70 DAC. Speaker is B&W 805D3.

I will buy Hypex new power amp module. So I consider about preamp. Could you recommend some preamp?
If it’s has 12v trigger in/out is best.

I asked the guy currently building my hypex this yesterday, for the same chain e70 -> passive -> hypex .. he replied with the https://www.passivepreamp.com/product/icon-4-pro-balanced/ but it's $$$$

 

[fpitas]

I have an XLR switchbox I got from B&H Photo.

 

[lordhumungous]

Topping pre90 followed by Schiitt Freya.

 

[Martinvb]

If I saw 1,137,50 euro, what is the second comma supposed to be?

In the EU, comma’s and points are used the other way around; US 1,000.00 = EU 1.000,00

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Quad Artera analogue preamp works well for me.

 

[312elements]

I recently acquired an SPL Elector that I’m really enjoying. Sounds great, plenty of inputs, responsive IR, and looks great.

 

[Mr. Widget]

Not sure what your budget is, but the discontinued Mark Levinson No. 326S is a stellar performer. Excellent measured performance (absolute transparency) and has great flexibility with both balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs. The feature I like best is the precise volume control. Repeatable 0.1dB control and the ability to balance the relative levels of each input to within 0.1dB which is very handy when comparing sources and very nice for day to day use.

It offers a trigger output and a very nice remote. These were built full Mil Spec and should last for decades.

It was quite costly when new at $10,000. Today they are available in the $4-$5K range.

 

[VariousArtists]

You're probably right:

Topping D70S fried my speakers...

I don't know why but today when I switched on the Topping D70S the volume was at -0db. Of course, i never set the volume so high, and usually the dac reminds the volume of the previous time, but not today. Result: the amplifier fried the tweeter of one loudspeaker. I don't know what the Topping...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Topping E70 randomly went to MAX volume..

Not sure what happened but all the sudden the E70 went from -30db or so to 0db. Basically blew out my ears for a few seconds and it was stuck on 0db, I couldn't even lower it. Tried spinning the volume control on the E70 for a few seconds, it was locked at 0db. Afraid to put my windows volume...

www.audiosciencereview.com

So what if you use the L70 or A90D as pre-amp?

It has relay volume control (using a micro controller presumedly?) so in theory could it cause the volume to jump too?

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

i think this isnt an area anyone really cares about either as a user or a company

i would love a good remote controlled analog line stage preamp... and i dont even need XLR but i think this market is kind of limited

and as for people who say hook up a chinese dac straight to your poweramps? no.

I care about my speakers too much. I'm not a fan of tubes either but if you had a preamp that could disable or enable tubes as needed then I dont see the problem... I do get that some people like the distortion than a preamp may add to the signal...

Have you found such tube preamps?

 

[lordhumungous]

Topping Pre90 followed by solid state Schitt Freya

 

[sumyugm]

I bought Freya+ and TUNG-SOL. However always use passive mode.

 

[Talisman]

I have absolutely no faith in connecting a DAC with volume control directly to power amps, I personally don't even understand expensive pre-amps with one or two inputs, at which point any good passive volume control will suffice.
For me the preamplifier has to be the main audio interface, with various inputs, at least basic equalization functions, a remote control, crossover functions, sub output etc etc....
If I only need an analog volume control, there are plenty of good quality ones on the market for very little money

 

[dougi]

Quad Artera analogue preamp works well for me.

I have that too, mainly as phono pre and to match level to an ADC input. My only gripe is that it will always go to vol=50 (out of 100) when you turn it back on, if you turned it off with a level higher than 50.

 

[egellings]

My best preamp is my home-brewed one.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I have that too, mainly as phono pre and to match level to an ADC input. My only gripe is that it will always go to vol=50 (out of 100) when you turn it back on, if you turned it off with a level higher than 50.

I suppose that, as I always take all volume levels to zero before turning off, they are zero when I turn back on! (I say all! I mean, the Artera and the two subs!)