2. amps-preamps
  3. 1423173149

Help with Preamp selection

Hello Everyone, I am building a new system and I am having a hard time with selecting a preamp to be paired with my Pass Labs XA-30.5 Class A amp. I am no audio engineer and to be honest I really don't know what to make of all the specifications. I have read where the Pass amp like low input gain from a pre-amp but other than that I am unsure what else to look for. I definitely want a pre-amp with balanced inputs and outputs so I can experience everything the balanced PASS labs has to offer. I am leaning towards solid state vs tubes only because their seems to be more balanced offerings and less maintenance.

My budget is $1000-$2000 for a used or new unit. Here are some of the choices I have been mulling over:
1. Wyred 4 Sound STP SE
2. Lower end Ayre Unit (This is $3500 new but have seen as low as $2K on used market
3. Parasound JC-2 (out of my range even used)
4. Cary Audio SL-100 (New)
5. Audio Research (So many units to choose from would be interested if they are in price range)
6. Jolida Fusion

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lastly - any recommendations on budget speaker cable and interconnects? I am looking for well made but at a reasonable price. Budget for 10' speaker cables $200-$250 and XLR connectors $100-$150.

Thanks in advance for your responses.
Neil
nmiller1202

Showing 4 responses by jon2020

jon2020's avatar
jon2020
991 posts
 
Nmiller1202,
It is very commonly suggested by most preamp manufacturers to leave the preamp on at all times, especially solid state. Leaving a tube preamp on at all times would shorten listening time for the life of the tube. My current preamp, an Ayre, doesn't even have an on/off switch.
J.
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
991 posts
 
I would grab this great piece asap, if I hadn't already got one myself. It has done wonders for my system. JA/Stereophile rates it a "solid Class A".

Here's a link to a good discussion on the Ayre K5-xeMP, with some brief comparison to ARC, VTL and even its big brother, the KX-R.

http://www.audioaficionado.org/ayre/11647-ayre-k5xe-mp.html

Happy listening.
J
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
991 posts
 
Congrats! You won't be disappointed. Keep us posted as to your experience with it.
Cheers! J.
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
991 posts
 
For your budget, you consider Kimber interconnects and speaker cables such as 4TC or 8TC. Here's a good site for knowledge base.

http://www.hifi-advice.com/reviews-Cables-Speaker-Cables.html

Happy listening. J.
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