2. amps-preamps
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Need Preamp Advice For Adding a Turntable

This is my first post on Audiogon, so please be gentle. Over the last several years I've been able to find the help that I've needed just searching through the forums, but now I could use advice specific to my system. I understand this is all subjective and everyone's hearing is different, I'm just hoping for a little shove in the right direction.

My system consists of:
Ayre K5xe mp Preamp
PS Audio PerfectWave DAC
PS Audio PerfectWave Transport
Theta Dreadnaught Amp
Vandersteen 5A Speakers

I'm pretty happy with the current sound, though, at times I've wondered if I could improve on it with a different preamp or possibly other tweaks. The Ayre is a great piece and I only mention changing it because it's been my experience that the preamp has the greatest affect on the sound. It's very easy to listen to, but I feel like something is missing. This may be due to previously having a tube preamp with class A mono blocks before having to move and go without a stereo for a couple of years. I've just recently finished piecing this system together so my ears haven't had a ton of time to adjust and I'm just happy to be able to play music again.

So now I'm hoping I can draw on other's experiences as to whether I should look into just adding a phono preamp to my current system, or go with a preamp with a built in phono stage or possibly replacing the Ayre K5xe mp with a separate line stage plus phono preamp that mate well together.

The type of sound that I enjoy is fairly neutral and transparent with a good amount of detail, a large soundstage with good separation and timbre with maybe a touch of bloom. Something musical and fairly accurate.

Features I'm looking for:
Solid State (have to integrate into HT, tubes a possibility)
Home Theater Pass Through
Fully Balanced
XLR and RCA inputs
Remote
Under $5K used

Preamp models I've read about, but have no experience:
Pass Labs XP-10 or XP-20
Parasound JC-2
Sim Moon
Aesthetix Calypso or Janus

Phono Preamps, also no experience with them:
Pass XP-15
Ayre P5xe
Aesthetix Rhea

I do enjoy what a nice tube preamp can add to a system, but am hoping to get as close as I can with a solid state preamp since it's going to be integrated with my HT and I don't want to burn up tubes watching movies and television. The phono preamp could be either tube or solid state. And my focus is on music and not HT even though I'm merging the two.

I appreciate any and all feedback on these models along with any other suggestions or advice that anyone may have to offer. And thank you for taking the time to read my post.
firsttoact

Showing 1 response by babybear

babybear's avatar
babybear
106 posts
 
A few years back I had a somewhat similiar system to yours - Vandy 5A speakers paired with the Theta Citadel amps (similiar sonics as the Dreadnaught) and I used an ARC Ref 3 preamp. While a little older now, the Ref 3 has all of the features that you listed and you should be able to find one used at $5K or less. I think that the Ref 3 paired with the Dreadnaught will provide the sonic attributes that you are looking for and in my opinion, would be a definite step up in sound from the Ayre K5xe MP preamp.

With the Ref 3, you would need a separate phono stage but you haven't given any budget for that or what analog front end you plan to use.

Hope that helps and good luck,

Arnie
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