B&K Preamps

I had a Pro 5 many years ago that sounded great for an entry-level piece. The jacks were tab-mounted on the rear panel, hardly secure but the rest of it was a peach. The active switch was a great feature, except with the volume full up! I believe the 115/117s were more refined but still firmly in the high-value caamp that B&K is known for. And there aren't too many American-made electronics any more, sad to say.

I had a CS117 and it's a very nice pre for the money. Some also include Balanced outs, and a phono stage (but some don't so be careful if you need it). Very quiet, and it also has a passive mode. I recently picked up a Pro 5 - one of the early models which are infamous for the cheap/flimsy RCA jacks Tripper describes. The later Pro 5's have good quality RCA's like you find on all other B&K gear. The pro-5 is also a nice sounding pre, but the CS117 is a better choice.

I had a Pro 10MC and in the bypass mode on vinyl it was sweet, on everything else it had no sound impact, it was just a switch.

Nice stuff for no money.