Preamp recommendation

What pre are you using now and what would you like to improve upon? What aspects of sound reproduction are most important to you? Tubes or just SS?

The Schiit Freya+ is a great preamp for the money and gives you options for passive or active with tubes thrown in if you want them. I’ve got one on one of my systems and I love it. I’ve heard good things about the JC-2 as well. 

I have JC-2 and love it. Marantz TT, Sumiko Blackbird, Musical Fidelity M6 Phono. Balanced inputs. There is one on Audiogon now for $1,900. Precision Audio, they will deal. Everyone wants the BP for the home theater bypass. If you don’t you can get a bargain.

I sold McIntosh SS, bought Vintage McIntosh Tube Tuner/Preamp, best preamp I ever owned, FM terrific, Phono Inputs 1 and 2 fabulous.

mx110z

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/MX110.htm

they have risen in price, only a few around now, here's one, $2,725. delivered.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/McIntosh-MX110-MX110Z-Tube-Tuner-Pre-amplifier/154189802251?hash=item23e66d...



this is early mx110 (not Z, see black horizontal volume wheel), with a nice wood case, $900. local pickup only, however, in the wood case, it would be easy to box, perhaps you could convince seller to ship insured.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/McIntosh-Model-MX110/184546512309?hash=item2af7d44db5:g:UokAAOSw5QNftusb

Check out Rogue.  YOu can get a RP-1 brand new for $1.5K and there is a used RP-5 on here for $2.4K

Do research on budget tubed designs like Rogue and Schiit especially regarding noise.

In your budget I cant think of a single tube preamp that I would consider unless you are willing to go used. 

Take a look @ the least expensive Linear Tube Audio preamp...

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/mz2mz2-s

Dead quiet, per online pro reviews, and the signal tubes should be good for 10,000 hours (it's a David Berning design).

DeKay

Would highly recommend Aric Audio - I don't think there is anything under $2,000 that compares to his $1250 Unlimited II tube preamp.

What is your budget?

Do you want single-ended or balanced?

LTA makes an excellent preamp that is dead quiet and sounds great, although I have no experience with the least expensive LTA.  Even better is the out of your budget Berning.

Atma-sphere has a very interesting UV-1 which I have yet to hear. Their mid-priced preamp is very good.

There is a Supratek Chardonnay for $1995 here on Agon. Or Don Sachs for around that price. 

Parasound P5

vette5451
In the market for a new pre-amp and looking for suggestions. I know this is very subjective to one’s tonal qualities so let’s consider all options in the $2k range.

You are using a Elac Alchemy PPA-2 phono stage with 66db of gain, over 6.0V output at 50ohms output impedance!! into an amp A21 that only needs 1v for full wattage output clipping.

YOU DON"T NEED AN ACTIVE PREAMP (with even more gain to waste money on.)

All you need a a passive preamp Balanced or SE, for even better sound, maybe with input selection if you have other sources.

SE
https://www.goldpt.com/sa1.html
https://www.goldpt.com/sa2.html

BAL
https://www.goldpt.com/sa1x.html
https://www.goldpt.com/sa2x.html

Cheers George

Having repaired some of the preamps above I would recommend two preamps for you after you send them to me for upgrades:

Counterpoint - SA-1000, SA-2000, SA-3000

DeHavilland - Don't recall the model.

Upgrades would include Nichicon capacitors, Audio Note, Shinkoh, Amtrans resistors, AC filter choke, V-Capacitors, tube sockets, RCA jacks, etc.  None of the preamps recommended above with have these parts inside. Depending on your budget, I can gut the internals and make the preamp point-to-point wired.

Happy Listening.

Interestingly enough, @georgehifi  just blasted another poster today for making positive comments on Class-D amplification. That poster is in the process of developing a Class-D amp and George hammers him for promoting a product that he will eventually be selling. In the very same day, as he does often, he promotes the virtues of passive pre-amps. He has sold passives himself for years. He blatantly, and often promotes product categories that he sells in this forum. Apparently it is A-ok for georgie to break his own unwritten rule. 

You really have no idea do you sunshine.
There is 6v from the phono stage at 50ohms output impedance. The power amp only needs 1v for full output, try to wrap you head around it if you can! 

I only recommend and link to other passives (not mine) when the impedance matches are fine, and there’s absolutely no extra gain needed from an expensive active preamp. Go learn some, and try to understand little more.

Interesting recommendations I would have never considered and that was the whole point.

A couple of extra criteria is the preamp needs to have remote and preferred balanced.

Does the Goldpoint offer remote volume.? The website didn’t promote this option?

I love the Wyred STP-SE pre.
Dead quiet, flexible, balanced, remote and punches above its price.
A gently used unit is quite a good bargain.

edit: wow, I just looked and E.J. is selling the STP SE at a well reduced price.  That is a deal for new considering I paid just less for slightly used.  https://wyred4sound.com/products/pre-amps/stp-se

You completely missed the point sunshine, but it doesn't surprise me. The person you put on blast this morning wasn't promoting his product either,. He was discussing a class of product. Kind of like what you are doing here. That didn't stop you from saying that he was. Product protection mode is what you always call it, though he never mentions his own product. The shoe fits on your foot too sunshine. What a hypocrite.

I really like my audio refinement separates.  The Pre-5 is a great preamp but has a lot of gain.

Don Sachs preamp and the Supratek preamps are excellent.  I have them both and they sound phenomenal with my JC1 monoblocks and also with my tube Canary monoblocks.  The best way I can describe the Supratek sound is clean, clear and wide open....

I have the parasound and am quite satisfied, however their customer support is quite poor. Ihave had to find work around for my questions. I was considering on my short list their new jc1 + monoblocks, but due to their support issues have decided on other products

Why no mention of Prima Luna? What is the opinion on Prima Luna? Just asking.

I use a Parasound JC2 in my system, and am very happy with sound. It is paired with a modded A21. Replaced stock fuses with HiFi Tuning Supreme, which is a tweak you might consider. Biggest bang was from replacing fuse at back, but replacing fuses in rails produced improvements also.

vette5451 OP
  Does the Goldpoint offer remote volume.? The website didn’t promote this option?

They are a Californian company give them a call, they may do an option for it or recommend one  (408) 721-7102  (Sunnyvale, California)
   
If not there are many manufacturers doing them just search "Passive Preamps remote" 
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU927AU927&ei=1XG8X8nGDc-E4-EP1vSsiAo&q=Passi...

Cheers George   

The sound system was essential to me and I used Parasound JC2 it produced very good sound, when I played geometry dash I needed it to sound so good.

@vette5451 OP


This manufacturer does two passive preamps with a remote, an SE or an XLR one.
https://luminousaudio.com/collections/axiom-ii-passive-preamp

If you don't like that, dig through this lot, on the one you like the look of.
https://www.google.com/search?q=passive+preamp+with+remote&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU927AU927&sourc...

Cheers George

I have discovered preamp's add value by the end of the seventies until the end of the eighties  in listening Conrad johnson vs audioresearch gears..

A local distributor and personal friend organised listening sessions outside opening hours of the store later in the evening...

They teamed up CJ and AR afficionados...

evey one was coming with its own unit and their vinyls...(no digital technologie at this time.except the 80 ties.)
you can imagine Audioreserch SP 6 SP6 A B C..... Conrad Jonhson pvé,premier two,premier three and so on..

This glorious "golden age" allowed to understand the subjective difference from a gear to another without any commercial consideration and to set up a real sound subjective culture for the audiophile involved in..

I have a Conrad Jjonhson collector PV 10A,PV8and PV9A designed  from 1989 to 1992

all are fitted with phono step..

I am very fond of the subjective sound balance of music rythm, soundstage, aeration and the weight of the note that gives music matters ,you gorget electronic presence avoiding  "hyper definition"...

This brand reach to save their product philosophie for years in keeping a consistant approach between vintage and current range of preamp's ....

"it just sound right!"

Raymond

@georgehifi
Thanks for the links and suggestions for passive.

I was lucky to find a used Einstein The tube mk2 for less than 40 percent of the list price in an audio forum, here in Norway. I mostly agree with the glowing review by Fremer in Stereophile - this preamp sounds like nothing, like a good preamp should do. It does have some sound of its own, though, which may fit in very well in your case. Both, the tube part of the amplification, and the hefty s-state power supplies. Delicate and powerful.  

i love tube active preamps.  they add life like dynamics, have a more refined sound with larger sound stage and offer the option to customize with tube changing.
i have had the rogue audio rh5 headphone amp linestage and the sound is excellent, crystal clear with hard driving attack and energy.  
recently upgraded to the rp7 and the rh5 does not lose much at half the price.  
the rh5 is a stellar bargain at $2500 retail.  

i love tube active preamps. they add life like dynamics, have a more refined sound with larger sound stage and offer the option to customize with tube changing.

i agree with this - conrad johnson, audio research, vac etc have not been stealing deaf peoples' money for the last 40 years...

Doesn't Van Alstine have some items the OP might look into?  The FET/valve CFR is $2099 w/o phono.  Seems worth a look.   I found a C-J PV-11 in good working order and my preamp search is over.

vette5451 OP
@georgehifi
Thanks for the links and suggestions for passive.

Yes, when you have 4v output from the phono stage, and your amp only needs 1v for full output, it's a no brainer.
Any active preamp with even more gain that goes between is a backwards step in sound quality, unless you "want" to hear more noise, distortion and coloration.

Nelson Pass,

“We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.

Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.

Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.

What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.

And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp.”

Cheers George

"A couple of extra criteria is the preamp needs to have remote and preferred balanced."

Why "balanced" unless you intend on running running LONG IC cables (can't imagine you have been with the current passive)?

Just curious.

DeKay

"A couple of extra criteria is the preamp needs to have remote and preferred balanced."

Try here, sure they’ll be what you need.
https://www.google.com/search?q=passive+preamp+with+remote&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU927AU927&sourc...



Here’s one balanced https://luminousaudio.com/collections/axiom-ii-passive-preamp/products/axiom-ii-passive-preamp-walke...

And one SE https://luminousaudio.com/collections/axiom-ii-passive-preamp/products/axiom-ii-passive-preamp-walke...

Cheers George

@dekay 

good question... I bought a cheap passive from Amazon that was xlr to try. It was the Nobsound Mini Fully-Balanced/Single-Ended Passive Preamp.

 The preamp doesn’t sound bad but a friend of mine brought over a Parasound C1 to try. We put it in direct/analog mode and connected via xlr. The sound difference was incredible with the biggest change in the wide soundstage.

 This has what started the path to invest in a good preamp.

Got it now,  that you are trying to use your current XLR cables...

However, using "balanced" not only adds gain that you do not seem to require, but it also limits your choices within the stated budget.

I generally prefer active preamplifiers as well.

DeKay

I bought a cheap passive from Amazon that was xlr to try. It was the Nobsound Mini Fully-Balanced/Single-Ended Passive Preamp

.
This is the circuit, for that Nobsound Fully Balanced.
For it to be proper balanced the blue pot at the front would need 4 mono alps segments not 2 as it has it would be twice as long.

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1vwuRam3PL1JjSZFxq6ABBVXat/Mshow-Fully-Balanced-Passive-Preamp-board-H...

Like this non encased rotary one 
https://goldpt.com/sa2x_in_600d.jpg

Cheers George

Schiit Freya +

Schiit Freya +

Yes now you’ve got it all.
Passive or tube or solid state, single ended or balanced. with remote, I recommend these a lot.

Cheers George

Quicksilver Line Stage with a couple very nice NOS tubes has been lovely paired with other tube amps as well as solid-state

OP

Well then... trust your ears...

(referring to your sound experience when your friend brought over JC2)

+1 Linear Tube Audio MICROZOTL. Seems you only need the 1 input. Tube musicality with SS detail. Get the NOS tube.
Remote is also nice.

VTL TL-5.5 Series 1

Can pick up a used Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 linestage for $1000+/-. No remote but don't be a spud, get up and adjust the volume, lol. Change the single tube in the SFL-1 to the highest quality 12AT7 you can afford (I'm running a Genelex Gold Lion) and sit back and hear your amp for what it has to offer. I run mine with a Cary, 808R tuber and it's just fabulous match with my Equation, 7s... I also use it in a streaming setup but would not hesitate to grab a Lounge Audio or Graham Slee phono pre to complete the package in an analog system

I would certainly recommend my pre-amps, except for one detail:  I have only ever seen 4 for sale, ever, and I bought two and sold one of those. The other one was on a Canadian site.  So it does not matter.  Good Luck.  I recommend you listen and buy what you like to hear.  You are on a site with extremely prejudiced listeners, who often taut what they own to make themselves fell better.  Many are going deaf from age.  Visit a city with dealers.  They still exist.  To save money, if necessary, buy used, but listen first, somewhere.

W4S STP SE good choice should operate in passive mode for most  listening with your existing amp.

Quicksilver if you want tubes. In your price range hand built in the USA. Excellent preamp.