best preamps

I do like my Teo Audio Liquid Pre passive. No AC grunge to dirty up the sound. 

Best preamps i'v heard Pass XP20, Accuphase C280V, C290,
Z systems RDP-1 digital digital preamp from the late 90s.  You do need a dac for the Z Systems RP-1 preamp to work.  TRL Dude tube preamp, Mcintosh C2300 tube preamp. Sony TA ER1 preamp, 

I agree with Elizabeth, the best preamp is a free preamp. 

Best I have heard . Gryphon Mirage and Ypsilon ...forget pre model but Phono stage is Ypsilon Silver ....$80 000. For my limited budget Yamaha C2a refurbished Yamaha CX 1 and Sony E90ES - units I use regularly. Luxman C03 is decent too. So much to choose from..

Lancelock how much better is microzotl compared to the MZ2? In%.

I use to own the 17ls2 regret selling it!

Lightspeed attenuator mais sûrement pas assez cher... 

This the best pre I’ve ever heard:

https://hometheaterreview.com/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-preamplifier/

Still in use:

onkyo P-308
B&K pro 10 mc (newer model)

used but newish : McCormack LD-2
 
new under 5 hours- Sanders preamp. 

All have their merits. 

Hey jhamond987,

Try a Conrad Johnson Premier LS 17 - 2.

It replaced my Primaluna Dialogue Premium and was more nuanced nd musical.

My system is Thiel CS5's and a MCCormack DNA-500

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

So there you have it. All preamps are the Best.

The best preamp ever made is the McIntosh C-2200 tube preamp and it's resale value being higher than newer model tube preamps helps prove my claim ,it's been over a decade with my C-2200 and for the 1st time in my life I've not wanted to even tube roll the preamp is so we'll thought out ,plus it's one of the very few modern preamps left that we're built with excellent tone control circuits that can be taken out of the signal path at will .

The pre amp that matched with your power amp. Best same brand.

Just bought a C-J GAT S2 (haven't received it yet), but also considered the Koda K-15EX, Soulution 725 and Audionet PRE G2 (to mate with my Audionet MAX amps), however, my dream pre would be the VAC Statement, but at $78K it was way out of my reach.

@atmasphere

+1, as to good advice. Pay attention to impedance matching, particularly with amps. 

Yipsilon I like the TSP 100 MK 11

You have to make some decisions:
Balanced or single-ended
Tube or solid state
Generally, balanced reduces the coloration of the interconnect cables, but does so best if the preamp supports AES48, the balanced line standard. Many balanced high end audio preamps do not support the standard. If your amplifier only has a single-ended input, the incentive to go balanced is certainly reduced (although if you run a turntable, all phono cartridges are naturally balanced sources).

Tubes tend to sound smoother but often have more noise (not hum, just hiss), although all preamps make some noise. Tubes require occasional service, which is why the tubes are in sockets. However signal tubes often used in preamps can run well over 10,000 hours.

So a more meaningful list can be more easily compiled once these choices are sorted out.

Go get a Stereophile magazine in April or October, their Recommended Components issues, and you can see what Stereophile feels that are the best preamps now. This list doesn’t take into account older preamps, only current offerings. The newest is not necessarily the best, it’s just the newest.

System synergy is what it’s all about and some products don’t match up together as well as others, that is why there are so many variables.

CAT SL1, cj Premier 2, 3, & 7, Counterpoint SA9/11, MFA, Klyne, Mark Levinson, Krell, Spectral, Motif, Dennessen JC80, Rowland Research, Threshhold and many many others were all at one time considered tops in preamps and are still very relevant today. In terms of value, I’d take used gear anyday over new for the nostalgia of it and the cost savings over new.

@plga +1 , Audio-gd does make good products. I have 3 headphone amps made by Kingwa and one of which is Master-5(I think) pre amp + headphone amp + DAC, Class A.

Lot of folks at head-fi.org like products made by Kingwa. 

The more expensive one that I couldn't afford....certainly it is better then mine..........

The preamp section of the Bose Wave radio.

Hello, 

i too am am a newbie. I currently have a Denon Dp47f/Grado MF3.. hardly use, needs new stylus or upgrade to a MC cartridge. I have a MK Cotter MK1 step up that I’ve never used. I was going to get into but never did.

my pre/pro is actually a SoNy 9000es. Used it for years, but I’m thinking it’s time to upgrade ?

my speakers are Mirage 760’s and a pair of old pioneer HPM-100

my amp is a Carver 806x multichannel amp thats bridgeable/ I have it bridged two channel 360wpc I believe.

I need help 

Best preamp ive heard is dan banquers handmade RE Designs SCPA-1 six channel pre.Dont think you will find one only 15 made I think.Dan passed of heart attack at 58yrs.http://www.soundstage.com/video/revequip/redesigns_scpa1.htm

I like the Sutherland Director (sometimes called Direct) in my system. It is bold, focused, and very lifelike. I also like a Many Moons Audio upgraded version of the Sansui CA-F1. Disclaimer: I am Many Moons Audio.

They are both very excellent preamps with different takes on the sound, yet neither sound electronic at all. I try and buy every CA-F1 I can, as I cannot hold onto them! The Director is just too rare, so one may look to Ron’s other designs, of which I have no experience with.

Incomplete without mentioning Luxman C-900u. In addition the ML 523 is superlative. The designers of these two units spared no expense in these two awesome units and sonically it shows. Anyone would find happiness here.

If I had an unlimited budget?  

I would not be here to let you know. ;)

I’ve been very happy with VTL tube preamps for many years.
Had the TL-2.5 & recently upgraded to the TL-5.5
Roll some tubes & they get even better...

Speaking of pedestals...I recently noticed that somebody is marketing a turntable pedestal...sort of like a  3 foot high speaker stand, but for turntables. That is simply the worst idea I've see in a while, and I'm glad I've been given an opportunity to mention it. Now, back to the previously scheduled program.

“...They are the audiophile "glitz brigade" and are only interested in presenting their shiny equipment up on a pedestals.”

It takes one to know one....Another completely useless post from the regular bystander.

The best of the best.....of the best!

I found BAT make very good  pre amps or the best pre amp Balanced Audio , But there not cheap second hand would be a better deal

boxer12,

Thanks.

Nice equipment ricred!

Many don’t realise the only role of a preamp is to make the signal from the source outputs suited for the amplifier inputs. Nothing more. If someone doesn’t need additional inputs, just save money ( cables, ...) by getting a dac with a quality preamp volume section included. Then get the amplifier type to color ( or not) the sound to your taste, and to fit your speakers requirements.

Sure, anyone can choose to add a preamp to his loom, if coloring the sound before the amp makes for a result that pleases you...just go for it. But still, you are adding signal cables, ... imho the less cables the better.

Hello
The Audio-gd Master 1 costs a little more than 1k and its consider to compete with preamps costing 3 to 5 times more. 
Audio-gd its a chinese brand that has an incredible price to quality ratio in its products.

@paul79 
The Funk LAP-2
http://www.funk-tonstudiotechnik.de

Esoteric CO2x

richopp,
I have a Jeff Rowland Corus preamp. I keep reading their preamps sound bad. I’ve compared it to a couple preamps and prefer the Corus. I’m always open to improving my sound, but I need a preamp with HT bypass, specifications that will work with my Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amp, and be at or below the price of the Corus($16K).

It is a great preamp but was also sarcasm richopp, lighten up. 

Except that the Jeff Rowland sounds horrible in MY ROOM.

Like I wrote earlier, get a bunch of them and try them in YOUR ROOM, which, as everyone knows, is the most important determiner of how anything "sounds."

Why is this so hard to get across??

Jeff Rowland Consonance / We can close this discussion now :-) 

I don't have THAT many $k's (for the purposes of this conversation anyway...don't wanna trigger an audit)...remember the aforementioned Santa Cruz? Cocobolo my sneakers away. And it has to be pointed out often that it's way more fun to find relatively inexpensive great sounding stuff than arbitrarily emptying your pockets in the direction of an Audio Salon "Professional." 

I'm ashamed about my Schiit Freya...it's not expensive enough to be taken seriously, and although it sounds fabulous it engenders scorn and shunning by high end audio geeks who spend multiples of its cost on other things

This is typical of many "hi-end" audio geeks that value sound with how a piece of equipment looks, polished machined cases and lights or how expensive it is.
They are the audiophile "glitz brigade" and are only interested in presenting their shiny equipment up on a pedestals were it does the most damage to image and depth perception, which is in between the speakers.
But hey it's the perfect place to gaze and ogle at from the listening position. 
Don't worry Wolf you've got it where it counts, on the inside. And have many $k's still in the bank.

Cheers George 

folkfreak graciously invited me over to his place to hear his system, which includes a Ref 40. He runs it with the top cover off, so I was able to see it’s guts. That pre is a thing of beauty, a real work of art. But for me to spend 25 g’s on a pre (assuming I had it), it would have to provide an out-of-body musical experience. I think the law of diminishing returns has never been more true than today. The guitar I'd buy would be a Gibson J-200.

I'm ashamed about my Schiit Freya...it's not expensive enough to be taken seriously, and although it sounds fabulous it engenders scorn and shunning by high end audio geeks who spend multiples of its cost on other things...I mentioned it at Goodwin's recently and several sales dudes had to be restrained from physically attacking me...fortunately my attorney got a gigantic settlement from them, and now I can get that ARC reference I always wanted thus restoring what's left of my credibility. However, I decided to keep the Freya and bought another Santa Cruz guitar instead. Credibility Schmedibility!

furiouslyadrift,
What particular model of FUNK preamp are you speaking of? Just curious if it is the one I think it is.

I have demoed the Ypsilon PST-100 mk2 in my system, it is indeed one of the top preamps on the market.

'Best' I've heard include an EAR 912...a VTL 17.5 VII and a Boulder...forget which model.