Need new pre amp

I recommend a Bryston .5 preamp to match your Bryston amp. I have the .5 preamp to use with my Bryston 3B amp. No XLR outputs though. XLR for home use is not any better than RCA. 

Consider Audio Research LS or Ref series if you want tubes and XLR. No phono stage though. 

McIntosh makes solid state and tube based pre amps that will have XLR and RCA all the INS and outs you could ever need.

Matt M

Have you herd mcintosh and with a bryston  4b  right now I am using  my back up pream a nad 1000 elac  it's nothen like the linn maybe I need to see about auditioning a mcintosh  pre amp in my home and see how it sounds. Ty mal11963

I have tested XLR vs RCA and can't tell a difference on my system.  Using mid priced after market cabling. 

I have tested XLR vs RCA and can't tell a difference on my system.  Using mid priced after market cabling. 

@jbuhl  , are those truly balanced circuits you are going in and out to and from?  Or are they "balanced in name only" (BINO)?  At least from the source to the pre, if truly balanced, I would think you would experience more gain (which is not necessarily a good thing).

@jasonbourne71 while I do agree that XLR isn't better for home use, Bryston 4BSST is fully balanced amplifier and it would benefit from balanced wires with +6db

Same applies for 3B

@immatthewj They only way I have to tell is from the reviews on my DAC (wadia 321) and Amp (Quad Artera Stereo) and both have indicated they are fully balanced design. 

Backert Labs. Two balanced ins and one out. Completely neutral but so so accurate! They use (2) 12AU 7’s! 

If I was on a budget I would look at Rogue RP-7.

If I wanted solid state it would be Jeff Rowland Capri

I have been very happy with my Audio Research.   I started with LS, now I am with REF 6SE.  I recently toured the factory - I cannot see how any manufacturer could be more meticulous about crafting a preamp.   Just incredible sounding and built.   Interesting that the highest end manufacturers of speakers all send samples to ARC for their evaluation.

Townshend Audio Allegri Reference Passive Preamp.

@plaw

I bought my ARC LS15 back in 1996 and still using it to this day with only one tube change Sent it to ARC for their LS15 upgrade years back, and have no desire for a change after all these years Oh its matted with a VAC tube amp, that I bought at the same time and that's also still going strong!!

@plaw 

What brands of high end speakers are you referencing ? Curious minds want to know. Thanks ! 

My set up has gear designed to be used fully balanced, my pre, DAC and Amp are all truly balanced and everything sounds better when I have everything hooked up using the balanced input / outputs.  I agree that if home equipment isn’t designed to be fully balanced you don’t necessarily get better performance, sound but when it’s specifically designed to be truly balanced it’s beneficial and synergistic to have fully balanced equipment throughout the chain. 
 

There are a lot of options on Pre’s that meet the OP’s requirements, especially when looking at Solid State pre’s.  You can find fully balanced Tube pre’s but they aren’t as common.  
 

Good Luck! 

The Spatial Audio Raven Preamp may tick all your boxes.  Two XLR and two RCA outputs. It’s fully a balanced unit. 

A couple of others here have mentioned McIntosh, and I also feel you should check out what might be available. C2700 has everything you could want in one box with one of the best tube phono sections out there. C52 would be the solid state version and includes EQ.

I run an older C50 to a pair of 7B SST2 with Mogami Gold XLR cabling throughout. It supports 2 turntables, a TASCAM digital recorder and McIntosh MVP-881BR universal disc player. Very satisfied with the rig.

Good luck & happy listening!

@ronboco 

I saw Wilsons, Maggies, and the surprise was Acora speakers being driven by their new high power tube amps.   There were some other speakers, but they were not ones I was interested in so I didn't pay attention.   They also had some Klipsch K-Horns (not sure of the vintage).   I owned the corner horns when I was a kid, driven with crap electronics, they made me feel nauseous because we played them so loud.  Brought my friends over because they were big and loud.  I didn't want to listen to them ever  again.

@plaw 

Thanks for the reply. I have Rockport speakers and was just wondering if they were on your list. I saw the big Wilson’s at Axpona a few years ago and they also had ARC gear. Valerio Cora is the owner of Acora and he recently bought ARC so it would make sense he would use ARC with his speakers. 
 

Regards 

Ron 

@plaw - I am so surprised to hear you say you never wanted to hear Khorns again. One of my pinnacle listening experiences was being nearly a half mile away from my friend Sam's house and hearing his Khorns over the sound of traffic on a busy 4 lane road. Truly impressive dynamic range and while they may not have been the most neutral speakers I have ever heard, it was entertaining to listen to them

@livingon2wheels  ARC was playing music through the Khorns and the sounded pretty good.  For me it was a "Clockwork Orange" memory.  And I did say I had really crappy electronics.  Klipsch are not Wilsons however.

Definitely buy a used BAT preamp for warmth. I’ve had many, and I’ll never own a different brand!

ARC or Conrad Johnson .I am running a Bryston 4bsst2 with Conrad Johnson Premier 17. I am in love . I had a Bryston bp 20 great but wasn't crazy about the grain control.

One the biggest regrets ever is not buying a tube pre amp earlier .