2. amps-preamps
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How to judge a preamp's sound

I just heard a YouTuber review a preamp. He told the audience that he tried it with many amps, and then went on to offer descriptions about "the" character of the preamp (bass, midrange, and treble, etc.).

My question is, Can someone accurately generalize about "the" sound of preamp across a variety of different amps? Wouldn't the amps be enough of a variable to at least complicate the "character" of a preamp? This is a serious reviewer with many subscribers.
128x128hilde45

Showing 2 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,632 posts
 
And also back then in those vinyl days it was a long held saying as well, "the best sounding preamp should sound like a piece of wire" or "sound like no preamp"
These two, 'sounding like a piece of wire' and sounding 'like no preamp' are not the same. The latter is good, the former is really variable!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,632 posts
 
@hilde45 FWIW even a cable and no preamp at all has a sound unless you jump through some hoops to prevent it doing so.


It helps to have recordings with which you are familiar. I use recordings I made myself (and have the master tapes) so I know how they are supposed to sound. But that is a luxury most people don't have, so start with recordings you've heard many times and then see how changing out a component seems to affect the sound of that recording. In a nutshell, that's how reviewers do it. This is entirely subjective so you won't get 100% consistent results. So a consensus of more ears is also helpful.
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