2. amps-preamps
  3. 1415789879

K&K Pre amplifier

Kevin at K&K sells a preamp kit under the name Raleigh. I believe that Raleigh is another small manufacturer, whom Kevin works with. I have used his phono kit for some 7 or 8 years now and am more than happy with it, a great unit.

I have been using an ARC reference 75 for over a year now, with a very good passive pre. It is a self build copy of the Music First Audio baby reference, with the same transformers. When I bought the ARC, I briefly compared this unit with the ARC reference 3 pre. It was'nt a proper comparison, but I think I preferred my unit. It does lack a bit in the macro dynamics department though and I am wondering about trying a tubed pre.

Has anyone used the K&K unit, there are'nt any reviews of it I can find. Other suggestions for a unit under $5000, including second hand, would be welcome. Another thought was the Audio Horizons pre, frequently commented on, in this forum.
Thanks David
david12
shakeydeal
979 posts
 
I too am a K&K phono stage owner and fan of Kevin's work.
However, I think you might be disappointed with most any active preamp after living with a TVC. I have tried many, including ARC, Audible Illusions, Art Audio, CJ, deHavilland, Lamm, etc. None of them could hold a candle to either my previous S&B based TVC (that Kevin himself constructed) or my current autoformer pre.

Unless you really see the need for gain in your system, I would stay where you are.

Shakey
david12 OP
1,454 posts
 
Thanks to both of you. My suspicion was that the passive was going to be hard to beat. The very well thought of ARC ref 3, sounded thick and congested in comparison to the passive. It was just a whim I had really. I would still like to get a really good active tube Pre in my system to compare it with, but not so easy when you are looking at second hand buys.

As an aside, people say buy second hand, you can always sell it for what you paid for it. I never can, I always get less. Perhaps I am a pushover for sellers
jaybass
7 posts
 
Shakey,
I had a Sonic Euphoria pre that I preferred over some active pre's.
When i got a Shindo pre, first an Aurieges and then a Masetto, it was game over. Try a Shindo sometime, I think you would be mightily impressed.
All the quiet, beauty and transparency of the passive but with the dynamics and fullness of the better actives. Really best of both worlds, imo.
shakeydeal
979 posts
 
So you don't consider the ARC Reference 3 a "really good tube pre"?

The CJ Premier 17LS, the Lamm LL2, and the Art Audio VPS are what I consider good tube preamps. Oh, and I also had the Cary SLP-98. None of them were as good as a transformer/autoformer line stage. The CJ might have come the closest, but still no cigar.

Shakey
david12 OP
1,454 posts
 
Just my impression about the ARC Ref 3, Shakey and that was in comparison with the Passive Pre. I had a CJ Premier 17 about 10 years ago, a lovely piece of kit.

Thanks for the information about Shindo, I have heard them, but they are hard to find second hand.
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