2. amps-preamps
  3. 167274-1464

preamp vs amp: relative effect on sound?

Recently, there was an interesting thread on combining a tube preamp with a SS amp, which is what apparently a lot of people do.

So two questions.

Q1: in a preamp + amp combo, does each unit affect the eventual sound equally, 50/50, or is one going to affect the sound more than the other?

Q2: in a combo of higher gain preamp + lower gain amp, will more gain being provided by the preamp have any effect on your answer to Q1?
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Showing 1 response by vinylzone

vinylzone
288 posts
 
Depending on your speakers, the amp could be as much as 80%.

For q2, it’s more about the the voltage required for full output on your amp. For example, if your amp requires .5 v for full rated power, you would probably want to pair it with a low gain preamp.

Also, the input impedance of the preamp should be at least 100 times higher than the output impedance of your preamp as a general rule of thumb.
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