What Almarg said. Labels on components alone like "good" or "great" mean nothing. its only as good as the weakest link in the chain and each chain is different. Lots of ways to make really good chains. Start with getting a handle on teh speaker/room interaction including an amp well suited to drive the speakers. Then choose a pre-amp (if needed, not always anymore depending on what source gear will be used).
All these things alone will have a major effect on the sound. YOu have to get the whole puzzle right which means teh right pieces that match. At minimum, you need speakers, amp and one or more sources. Pre-amp these days is optionl. A passive pre-amp is another option that can work very well if done right. It all depends. Sorry, but if you really care about how things sound rather than just listening and being satisifed, this is what you are dealing with. Good news is if you like this stuff it may be a fun journey. Otherwise, not so much. |
I missed what speakers you have?
I'm not sure HE speakers makes choosing amps any easier. HE speakers tend to be sensitive to everything, including noise. It can be like listening under a microscope where any difference good or bad is apparent. It seems to me that those who go with the HE approach end up with perhaps the most expensive electronics as well before everything is good. Its true that not many watts are needed, but all teh rest probably matters more. IF using truly HE speakers that is. |
Yes, getting an integrated means an expert matches amp and pre-amp for you. Assuming suitable speakers, nothing too challenging or esoteric, and not an unusually large room, you are probably good to go sooner and for less money than otherwise. |
The better highly efficient Class D amps out there today, and some are quite good, can deliver 500w/ch or more for comparable cost to lower power Traditional less efficient Class A/B or certainly class A amps, tube or SS.
So you can get efficiencies in speaker, amp or both these days.
Bottom line is you have to get things matched well to keep costs under control. I'd get speaker/room interactions right first using a suitable amp for the speakers, in order to be in a position first to access source sound quality meaningfully, and then tweak the pre-amp and source from there. How can one assess the sound quality of a pre-amp without the stuff downstream needed to make the music in place properly first? |
Its more useful to discuss the order in which one tackles these things.
For best results fastest, you always want to get the biggest issues resolved first.
That is the amp/speaker/room domain That makes it very important to get this area all right together first.
Only then you are in a position to judge whats upstream further for its "sound quality", much of which is a very personal and highly subjective decision making process, hence the interest shown there by many.
But first thing is first. Tackle the biggest issues first! That's basic engineering best practice. You have to get the biggest nuts and bolts right first before sweating the details, no matter how important those are as well. In the case of a home audio system, that is the amp/speaker/room "subsystem".
Other ways might work out in the end but will take longer and likely end up costing more total.
In some cases, like with a single source with volume control, you could well end up with no pre-amp. Or if more than one source, possibly an inexpensive passive pre-amp that frees up money for elsewhere where truly needed. |
SAE's used to be the dealer's amp of preference for OHM speakers.
You can buy vintage OHMs used for not much, buy upgrades for any model still from OHM, or buy new refurbs or totally new speakers from OHM as well.
Just one option. Many others as well. Read up on what's out there first before deciding. |
We can't hear your system. Turn it up some! :^)
Seriously, have you done everything you can to get what you have set up best? Have you started to listen critically? How does it sound? Does it need to change? If so what are your goals for the sound that are not being hit currently?
Gotta know the goal first. Its hard to offer totally reliable advice over the internet without the ability to hear the subject. Even if someone had the same combo of gear in exactly the sme working order, every room is different.
One thing for sure, its best to try to always try to identify the weakest link make one change at a time, and take time to evaluate well before doing anything else.
Vintage gear may offer the best value in some cases but not always. It all depends..... |
Definitely play around with the various ways identified to hook the gear up. Listen and compare. Only once you have it set up the way that sounds best should you consider any next steps, if still needed. |
It's an easy experiment.
First try running without an amp.
Then try without a preamp
Which is more important will become perfectly clear. |
I'll agree pre-amp is probably the most important tweak and if you are running a phono you need one.You also need a volume controll. ANd maybe a way to switch multiple input sources if you have those. A pre-amp is just one such device to serve those functions when needed. Other than that, its just a potentially expensive signal processor that is not very flexible compared to the alternatives.
These days, it pays to consider function, not form. A traditional preamp provides various functions that may be had equally well or better in other forms these days. |
"A lot of people here and elsewhere have reported that digital transports often seem to make more of a difference than DACs."
In the words of the famous secret agent/audiophile Maxwell Smart:
" I find that hard to believe!"
Not that people report it, more so that it is in fact a true assertion.
I'm sure significant differences with sources to DAC are possible. So you never know. My experiences using various good quality (not necessarily expensive and in good working order)source devices with various DACs in recent years though are not consistent with that assertion though. FWIW. But hey, I am just one sample set. I'm sure it happens. |
Audiophiles love to make things complicated.
Integrated gear does the opposite and the technology has improved immensely over the years.
Don't forget the DAC these days when integrating. if you are old fashioned you might even want a phono front end integrated in still as well. |
