Given your headphone setup I agree with those believing it will be hard to match its resolution and detail with the Maggie LRS. If you want micro detail look at a used Ayre Acoustics K-5xe preamp. It is extremely quiet and detailed without being harsh. It is a balanced preamp, a good match for your system and better than your amp. You should be able to find one in the $1500 range. I’ve owned one for years and have rarely been tempted to switch. Read some reviews.
Need suggestions on preamp
I’m mainly a headphone listener so when I got the chance to purchase a pair of Magnepan LRS speakers near my home town, I ran with it. I love Maggies and their midrange smoothness and live performance feel. I was able to find a used Parasound A21 for $1200 on Marketplace which was replacing my Adcom 545. I’m now running into a dilemma where I think the Adcom 545 sounded more detailed to me. I listen to a lot of instrumental music that I know well and I’m not getting the same level of detail as I’m getting with my headphone setup which is running balanced from my RME ADI-2 DAC. I’m using more expensive Audience AU-SX interconnects on those but even when running the RME direct into the amp (since it has volume control) I’m not getting the level of resolution I’m used to with my headphone setup (Hifiman HE1000 with a Serbian Audio HSA-1B amp).
I think the issue might be related to my preamp. I bought a Schiit Saga+ and despite running good NOS tubes or trying out passive mode I’m not getting the resolution I’m looking for. I’m looking for a recommendation on a preamp that costs between $1,000-$2,000 that will max out the resolution of the Parasound while keeping it’s effortless flow and naturalness in tact. Maybe the problem is the speakers and I really should have gone for the LRS+ or 1.7s? I know the room plays a huge role with Maggies but I live in a small apartment so for now I’m looking for any suggestions that can be fixed with gear. Thanks for any help!
Showing 4 responses by sameyers1
I have a pair of Aerial Acoustics Model 8b floorstanders in a large room. They are relatively inefficient, 4 ohm speakers and power hungry like Maggies, but a more traditional 3-way rear ported woofer design. The amp is a well maintained Proceed HPA-2 (a Levinson design), putting out 250w/ch at 8 and 500w/ch at 4 ohms. The amp is a balanced unit like the Ayre preamp and they are a good match. I listened to Ayre amps when I purchased the preamp, but kept the Proceed. Felt it had a bit more meat on the bones, a more full bodied sound. You can find reviews of both the speakers and amp online. |
I don’t disagree with @soix that your speakers may be part of the problem. I’ve listened to the LRS and didn’t find it as resolving as say an ATC-19 or an Aerial Acoustics 5T, both in the $4k range new so you’d be looking at used. They are both stand mount or bookshelf speakers suited to an apartment. But I do think the preamp is also part of the problem. |
You’ve gotten lots of suggestions and face the typical conundrum of lots of different answers. I understand why you like the imaging of the LRS. I also understand why you like ATC speakers and their precision, clarity and speed. What has always worked for me is bringing gear home and trying it in my room. Each of us have different listening rooms and musical preferences so our suggestions may not closely match what you’re seeking. Find some dealers that will let you bring gear home, whether electronics or speakers and see how they work for you. Many online dealers of both new and used equipment will let you return gear. The Music Room sells both new and used, as one example. I hope you find what you’re seeking. |