2. amps-preamps
  3. 1080655145

Preamp selection advice for rock music.

I am seeking the collective wisdom of the Gon experts.
I do not have the ability to A/B my picks or to audition
them in my system. I am fairly new to this hobby too.
I have an Audio Aero Prima CDP feeding into a Rotel 1066
prepro. The amp is also a Rotel, model 1095, that is going
to JM Lab Electra 926 Speakers. I have the CDP connected to
the prepro through the multi input so as to avoid the Rotel
DAC's. Not sure if this has an affect on the signal.
I like to listen to classic rock mostly and am looking for
a preamp that will help some of the 'HOT' recordings sound
listenable. Mostly helping with simbalance of the recordings
from Led Zepplin, The Doors and etc. I enjoy the detail and
extension that the Audio Aero CDP gives me along with the
expanded sound stage and would prefer to keep these features. The tubes in the CDP helped some but I think that
a tubed preamp would probably do even more and help with the musicality as well.
The two preamp choices that I have made are the Cary SLP
88 and the Conrad Johnson PV10BL. They are available here
on the gon for about $1000.00 and that would be my price
limit, new or used. I also would like to keep an eye to the future upgrade of my amp the next time upgradeitis rears its
ugly head ! Does it ever end ?
Any other suggestions would also be welcomed. HELP !!!
saki70

Showing 2 responses by saki70

saki70 OP
907 posts
 
Unclejeff;
According to your answer, does that mean that connecting
the CDP to the multi input of my prepro would be the same as others who can connect their CDP directly to the amp ?
Or, in other words, the Rotel prepro is not affecting the
CDP signal going through it to the amp.
saki70 OP
907 posts
 
Some great responses from the pros !
I intend to keep the 1066 for home theater use and was just looking for a preamp that would tame the simbalance of some of my many classic rock CD's. I put the Audio Aero into
the multi input of the 1066 to avoid the DAC's of the 1066
when used in the CD input mode. This was the only thing that
I could think of to do to avoid using the Rotel DAC's.
Am I understanding some you correctly, when you say, that
the Audio Aero is outputing more info than my amp 'and' speakers are capable of handling ? I thought that the JM Lab
Electra speakers werea pretty decent items. I know that the amp is now the weaker link in the system.
Thahks for all of the great info. I really have learned a lot reading these forums.
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