Best solid state pre-amp below US $ 10.000,00 ??

Allow me to ring in here. Sorry I didn't see the thread sooner. I own or owned a Placette Active Linestage, and Audio Aero without Preamp, added the preamp, VTL 7.5 & a CAT SL1 Mk 3. To confuse life just a little. The Placette was much better than the earlier generation of the CAT. The Audio Aero sounded better running through the Placette than running direct. Don't know why. My Placette was single ended $4500. Go balanced & really have fun although Guy will try to talk you out of it. Anyone who criticizes the build quality of the "interior" of the Placette. is nuts. No one can come close. His parts cost is one of the highest in the industry. Add a few hundred $ & have him use a nice case in a color you prefer. I bet you can get him to do it. He can also customize it for you if you need extra features.

Now my VTL 7.5 was very close but it had more synergy w. my MB 750 amps & really dealt well with the cancelation of noise in a fully balanced configuration. But it is very close. My system benefits from a tube preamp & fully balanced so it became my preference. I miss my Placette. It just worked. Those who criticize it owned the passive. Two different animals completely. The Audio Aero even being run directly into my amps in balanced was not synergistic (no preamp built in, meaning it is its own preamp but can't function as a preamp on anything else) with my system. After I added the Audio Aero full preamp section into the Capitole sound definitely changed. I don't know why. If I blind folded you to compare the Audio Aero direct to the Audio Aero through the Placette you would probably not get it right. The bass is a tad more solid if that. Somehow the Audio Aero does benefit from the preamp, I found out why but honestly now I don't remember. In the end it is very close. The ergonomics of the Placette leave a little to be desired. But Guy of Placette. is one of the nicest & most honest guys in Audio. He makes money, but only if you benefit. He will never try to sell you a gimick & stands 100% behind his product. Anyone criticizing the Placette really doesn't know what they are saying.

Now, using the preamp on my Audio Aero for my Meitner setup (don't ask, I have a lot of things going on these days) the Audio Aero is no slouch. It is a great preamp. I only paid $1500 for my upgrade & it basically gives you a mostly new unit. It is excellent as a preamp. I understand it now goes for around $2000. I am not sure though. If you want to save some money then do that. You won't be disappointed at all.

What should I say once you get to the top the VTL 7.5. Well it is amazing, but the jump between the Placette & it, really is diminishing returns on a large scale. I also bet, a balanced Placette for nearly double the price might compare very closely, but not ergonomically. Very few preamps will have the ergonomics of the VTL.

What would I do. It depends on what you want to spend. Each step up in money gets you better sound sort of. Maybe just different. Audio Aero preamp compared to VTL 7.5. The 7.5 is better, but the Audio Aero is still great (surprisingly good once you compare it to anything). It depends a lot on your system. You can save the money & have fabulous sound. Most audiophiles won't ever know the difference although they say they will. I would as GUY Hammel says it, save some money & spend the rest on music.

My longest post but I really hope I helped.

Frankpiet,

I am going to do some more comparing today to let you know for sure. I will compare the AA direct to the AA running through the VTL. I did run my Meitner through the AA as a preamp & it sounded great. I do love what a tube preamp does for the sound

Frankpiet,

I did some comparing pretty quickly. All very confusing. Here it goes & this is firm

EMM Labs going through Placette is not as good as Audio Aero going through Placette.

EMM Labs going through Audio Aero is better than Audio Aero (who cares, this is about preamps but it is all in the chain).

EMM Labs going through VTL is much better than Audio Aero going through VTL.

Now for the big answer. The Audio Aero does sound better direct than going through the VTL 7.5. Very slightly but noticeable. It was more transparent would be the best way to characterize the sound. The VTL was using an Elrod power cord & the Audio Aero was not. Long story short, more in the chain the less the transparency but tubes can have a major benefit in many environments. I am guessing the extra interconnects definitely hurt and that the Audio Aero gain might have been too high for the VTL which could affect the sound. I had the Audio Aero fully open.

If you want a preamp w. out phono on the cheap & are dedicated to the Audio Aero I strongly recommend the upgrade. Then purchase a lot of music. It is really that good a preamp. Is it on par w. the VTL. Not really, but it is very close. It isn't completely user friendly and takes up no space. All major improvements. The tubes are on all the time anyhow so you might as well enjoy it. The VTL is better than the Placette in some ways, and equal in other. Maybe a little soft in the bass compared to the Placette. But the Audio Aero direct was not soft in the bass. All so close that it isn't worth thousands of dollars.

Good luck. I will be doing a little more comparing right now as I am curious about the EMM through the VTL as compared to running it through the Audio Aero.

Frankpiet,

Upgrade the AA. Save the money. It gives it a "new lease on life". Almost the entire internals, besides the transport are replaced. If you are happy w. the Audio Aero direct, I am sure a preamp won't make it better, just different. If you are concerned with phono then you have an entirely different situation. Then get a great phono like a groove plus or ASR Basis. Just an idea.

I am confused about your amplifier. It is all about synergy with your amplifiers.

Artg & John,

I am sure it did sound better. The AA sounds better via my VTL than direct. More of the tube thing going on. But the EMM sounds better via the AA as a preamp than via a Placette. Again some of the tube thing. Where I am going is try the AA as a preamp & compare it to any of your mentioned preamps. I doubt it will be as good as the Calypso but I bet it will compare. Don't use the AA as the source, use a different source into the AA & that same source into the Calypso.

I know it sounds crazy but it is all about the entire system. Unfortunately the AA direct will be more transparent no matter what you say. You have one more item in the chain. Depending on what preamp will determine how much more transparent. Now the preamp you use will add dimension, tube like sound, decay or how about some color. I bet a beautiful color too. I personally prefer the AA via my VTL than direct. But it still is less transparent (but really very very slightly & who knows how much is the cables, power cord, preamp, my ears etc). Also the VTL does not add body alone but also adds tremendous power, dynamics, decay etc. But this is all extra & wasn't there before. With the AA it helps a little. With my EMM it helps a lot & brings the EMM to another level as compared to my EMM via the Placette Active (probably the best preamp I have heard till the VTL). The Placette better my CAT MkIII by a very wide margin where a blind listening session would result in 100% certainty what you were listening to.

Do use the AA as a preamp for a different sournce and then comment(if you have that feature, as it improves the sound of the AA as a CD player substantially once the preamp upgrade is installed). I am trying to save you money or at least give you a comparative reference.

I purchased the VTL preamp as it is synergistic w. my amps & made a tremendous improvement as such. Take out the balanced connection of the VTL preamp & then the playing ground is much more close.

Frankpiet,

Just as I noticed. The AA goes up a level w. the preamp modification. I know they do an additional mod in the US market. Curious if you can tell me what it is.

I still love my AA. I switched to the EMM & am getting my CDSD hopefully this week or new week. Then I will compare to my AA again. The EMM is better, but the AA is no slouch.

TVAD & Artg, how do you both get your posts going so often on the same day. Mine don't show up for a while normally. I have never been deleted though.

I agree that the AA has some negatives w. different volume settings but all in all it is very close. It depends on the impedance & voltage of the item it is seeing as a source. It also is just below the top of the latest bunch. I just wish I had a different CDP for different discs. Some sound better on the the EMM & others better on the Reimyo etc. This is after comparison. Very confusing & too expensive.

The Nagra sounds like an amazing preamp. Again everything is the system. How I am learning this every day. Just to add some spice. There is a new "statement" CAT preamp. Anyone heard it?

I just changed tubes in my 7.5. What a difference. Everything just became much more dynamic w. more extension at the extremes. Scary. Now to try some NOS tubes.