2. amps-preamps
  3. 185078-172731

Amp vs Preamp which is more important?

I am considering changing my amp/preamp combination and as I think about budget, I am wondering if one of these components should get more focus. My other question is if these components, even separates can never be considered in isolation but are always part of a pair working together.

I thought there must be a thread on this, but I couldn't find it. Feel free to respond with it here and I will shut this thread down.

Thanks!

saulh

Showing 1 response by localnet

localnet's avatar
localnet
3 posts
 

I am no audiophile by any stretch with the gear you guys are used to, but I have a new friend that is... He sold me a pair of Zu Dirty Weekend speakers he bought new in 2018. When I went to audition these speakers at his house, I was amazed at the gear he had laying around and or in boxes. His one listening area he had a pair of $12000 speakers, Tyler Acoustic Woodmere II's that Tyler built special for my friend, and delivered personally back in the day. He had a $10,000+ tube amp just sitting on a furniture dolly, various other amplifiers on furniture dollies, and gear from manufactures I have never heard of. 

He has three systems, and get this, he is running PS Audio Stellar Gaincell preamps in all three, along with the Parasound A23+ amplifiers. No external DACs, he uses the one in the Gaincell. 

I bought the Zu speakers from him, brought them home and hooked them up to my system, Denafrips Venus II 12th DAC, their Athena Pre, Thallo amp and I had two Emotiva XPA-2 amps, one original and one DR2. It sounded like crap with the Zu's... Currently own the KLH Model 5's. 

I talked to my buddy, he has owned all of that same Denafrips gear, has Alvin's cell number. He sold them all. Go get yourself a Gaincell and A23+ kid... And that is what I did. 

I found a used Gaincell, and purchased a new Parasound A23+ and cannot believe how these two pieces work together, even the DAC in the Gaincell bested my Venus and Athena. Four sets of ears agreed when we did an amp/speaker shootout here at the house. The A23+ and Gaincell won hands down with the Zu's. I have the same amount of money invested in this system now as I do that one Venus DAC.

What is my point? I don't know, but my new buddy with tens of thousands of dollars in gear laying around his house decided that this is what sounded the best to his ears. He jokes about it when looking around at all of the gear he has just sitting there, that this is the system that does it for him. A discontinued entry level preamp and an inexpensive more or less consumer amplifier. Who would have thunk? 

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