High end stereo preamps? Worth it?

mitch2

certainly, awesome very advance expertise you share herein. Soooo much brain energy being deployed.  This is complex stuff requiring many advanced degrees.

speaks to a need to improve the marketing efforts of high end hifi devices.  Basically, a large number have no clue what they are buying. They are comforted with expert reviews that seem helpful, and spending more money for incremental perceived value. Choosing a preamp is not easy!!! Marketing materials are horrifyingly tough to make sense of.  As long as boxes are built like tanks, weigh more and look pretty.

Lowtubes,
thanks.

Sp11 mk11 looks great.  

My challenge is deciding between a McIntosh c1100 vs audio research ref 6se.  Thoughts are welcome.
Why have you pursued such a large volume of hardware? So much expertise, and great it’s being shared.  I am hoping to make this a final purchase and go into retirement from my pursuit of overpriced audio equipment, all links in my chain will be quite strong at this point. 

so a preamp bought to be used in ht bypass mode and only streaming from a nucleus is not needed, ie. Of no value??

Atma sphere mp3 is interesting.

so many preamps to chose from.  A crap shoot. Most have no clue what they are buying.  Minimal info on internal build.  BLINDFAITH!!

a few preamps out there that seem to have more widespread acceptance. And overpriced of course.  

it’s all about the mix you bring to the situation. Preamp performance varies quite abit, depending on mix of components.  What a mess trying to decide.  Horrifying!! How can anyone make money selling this stuff??

Hi lowtubes, very interested in a few preamp tube refs. Thanks.



hi iitsjustme 
great comments of value not heard a lot and restores my faith that heavier spending will have a benefit.

Benchmark LA4  Line stage device sounds interesting to simplify whatever a stereo preamp does.   For streaming only, seems ideal and wonder about amp matching issues.
Wish it came with a ht bypass.