Don't get an active preamp. Buy a PRO-Ject Tube box 11 SE for $699. It is both moving magnet and moving coil and will go up against those listed. Get a Creek 22 passive preamp, it competes with active preamps costing 5 or 10 times as much. Its about $500. You already know that you can use your CD player direct, the Creek will give you remote volume control. You will not believe the extra detail you can hear without the active stage and I have not found any loss of dynamics that some have deported. Just a suggestion.
Need advice picking a preamp.
So, I have been looking to add a preamp to my setup, right now I am running Bel Canto Dac3, ran directly into (2) Bel Canto Ref1000s. I am wanting to add a preamp that has a good built in phono stage. So far I have been looking at a few different tube preamps from Mcintosh.
C220
C2300
Then the Modwright SWLP.
A bonus for the Mcintosh preamps is that they have good headphone amps.
The C220 only has a MM phono, but is almost half the price here on agon.
The C2300 has many more options, but I am not sure if its worth the extra money.
One other plus the Mcintosh preamps have over the swlp is the balanced inputs/outputs.
One negative of the of the SWLP is it rarely comes up for sale on agon. Although I have heard it is great.
Also one other thing is that all the Bel Canto gear will be replaced over the next year, possibly based on which preamp I choose.
So anyone have any experience with these preamps? Also any other suggestions with built in phono stages within the price ranges of the listed preamps.
C220
C2300
Then the Modwright SWLP.
A bonus for the Mcintosh preamps is that they have good headphone amps.
The C220 only has a MM phono, but is almost half the price here on agon.
The C2300 has many more options, but I am not sure if its worth the extra money.
One other plus the Mcintosh preamps have over the swlp is the balanced inputs/outputs.
One negative of the of the SWLP is it rarely comes up for sale on agon. Although I have heard it is great.
Also one other thing is that all the Bel Canto gear will be replaced over the next year, possibly based on which preamp I choose.
So anyone have any experience with these preamps? Also any other suggestions with built in phono stages within the price ranges of the listed preamps.