Best Full-Function Preamplifier
Consulting the collective wisdom on the best preamp with built in phonostage (MM/MC). DAC not required but OK if it has one. Below $20K retail. Must be a no compromise solution--outstanding linestage and a flexible, great sounding phonostage that would not make you wish you had separates. Thoughts?
I'm a vintage guy, the result of my Uncle's involvement, I guess. I happen to like my ancient SAE 2100L (I have the add on EQ and Parametric boxes all standing by and ready to go back in the game). I had everything recapped, cleaned, and tested about 10 yrs ago by retired SAE Tech. Now it's time to go record shopping. I know,, as usual, of absolutely no help at all 🙄 |
You say "full function" but does that include a tape monitor? That is going to narrow your choices considerably. Even if you don't have a tape deck a tape loop is very useful if you have any sort of processor or might in the future. The other thing is how important your vinyl rig is to you. If you have a nice turntable and cartridge and you've got a $20K budget it would make sense to get a separate phono stage and spend a little less on the preamp. There are incredible bargains on used Pass preamps and there are lots of used high quality phono stages as well. You could have a killer rig if you could stomach separates. |
dodgealum Look up Radu Tarta he is considered one of the very best Vacuum tube engineers in North America 40 years in the trade.he builds only no compromise DHT Preamplifiers most name brands as I stated many times being a ex audio dealer only 25% goes into the electronics ,the rest R&D overhead and markup with these custom builds it’s like building a Bentley to whatever standard of parts quality you want . My friend has one of his deluxe 2 box DHT preamps for sale like New ,retail this would be well over $15k only 2 years old Like New. |
How many turntables/tonearms will be used? Is one phono input acceptable or are 2 phono inputs required? What kind of cartridge? Mm/Mi or Mc?
Is adjustable gain per input required?
How many outputs are required? What kind of outputs, single ended or balanced?
More information would be required to provide reasonably accurate recommendations. |
It sounds like you are talking about the Classe Delta PRE. It sounds amazing and has the perfect complement of features including a great phono stage. I love mine and I threw the HDMI card in there to get ARC from my TV. No complaints. I’ve also had the Hattor passive line stage with tube buffer, the flagship Parasound, and the list goes on. It’s no MSB, for example but what is? |
Its getting a bit old, but it is still in production and a great sounding Preamp... SST Ambrosia 2000..... Is full function... True Balanced, single ended, world class phono and headphone stage, tone controls to boot. Yes, I’ve sat in front of it many times, it competes with the best. May not be your cup of tea, but anyone who has spent real time with it will tell you that its quality. |
There is only one preamp with built-in phono that I would consider, Atma-Sphere MP-1, in the no compromise category you’re looking for. I was on the phone with the owner, Ralph Karsten, just last week, he normally picks up, trouble shooting some tubes. You’d be hard pressed to find a better company, products or person to deal with. I own two of their components and about to buy a third. Highly recommended. |
McIntosh C2700 or one of the other many they have, make sure it has the DAC2 board and your good to go. excellent DAC with multiple in-outs for digital, ARC for TV integration, the C2700 is a Tube preamp with dual phono stages MM and MC, then there is many RCA and balanced in and outs. Tone controls if you need them, switchable of course. so many features i don't know of another preamp that can match it for features. |
You gotsta pay for top echelon sound. I would listen to a number of different preamps and a bunch of external phone stages along with.... I owned a Zesto Leto preamp. It was great , their latest Ultra II is even better. But what they really specialize in are phono stages. Audio Research, also makes great gear ... Pass, many others. I would want separate components in every situation, in every price range...a great phono stage is almost NEVER included in state of the art preamps... maybe a very good one, but not a reference one |
Typically a really high quality preamp will not have a Phonostage. My favorite preamp in your price range is an Audio Research Reference 6SE… at $17K. Their equivalent Phonostage is $17K. Separating the Phonostage completely from the preamp has the advantage of separating the very low signal amplification of the phono signal from the noisy environment of the preamp. The Audio research products are uniquely musical and detailed, with excellent mid-range bloom. This combination makes them extremely good to center your system around. You get the best of both worlds: musicality and detail. I would always concentrate on the very best preamp I could get, then the very best Phonostage. So, my strategy given your budget would look for a used Audio Research Reference 5SE preamp and a used Audio Research Reference 3 phonostage (or Ref 2). I would adjust the exact preamp and Phonostage to match your budget. The sequence for rhe Reference products is, for instance Ref 5, Ref 5SE, Ref 6, Ref 6SE. Same for the Phonostage. |
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@thecarpathian Actually, I don't think so. While there are quite a few top tier linestages with internal DACs, phonostages not so much. Particularly full-function phonostages that allow MM and MC (with plenty of adjustment for load, etc.) that are not compromised add-ons that perform as well as separates. However, to narrow the list a bit further, remote control is a must. |
@thecarpathian he asked so I will start. Simaudio North Collection 791 only $16K. |
