2. amps-preamps
  3. 179899-155632

Preamps can color sound considerably. Surprising?

Had the pleasure of listening to 4 hi end preamplifiers this weekend. And each preamp sounded very nice. But they were different. Each preamplifier has different circuitry and within the frequency spectrum there was more vibrancy in some areas versus other areas. Amplifiers are the same way.

It takes a while to appreciate sound differences between preamplifiers. And then you got the issue of Breakin which further changes the color.

clearly designers are playing around with all the internal circuitry in a manner that hopefully will be appealing. Clearly, these units do not get out of the way when it comes to moving a signal through the box.

I think solid state is more susceptible to coloring versus tubes. Tubes color sound as well.

It's all about marketing different ways to color Music. This isn't necessarily bad but it's never really talked about this way.

 

 

 

jumia

Showing 8 responses by immatthewj

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

This way at least you don't have to worry about bye really expensive interconnects to further color up the sound. 

@jumia  , are you saying that cheap interconnects do not color the sound?

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

So direct to customer sales from manufacturers would seem a very worthwhile outcome toward greater success.

Cary Direct must have seen some logic in this. If the gear is purchased from them without Cary performing any modifications on it, they do advertise a refund policy if it doesn’t work out on audition.

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

A good active becomes the beating heart of a system. A passive, the liver?

Not to be argumentative, but I don't think that this analogy works.

 

 

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

I assumed they was referring to the removal of waste and toxins?

Hmmmm . . . interesting . . . but is that the function of a preamp?

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

No, I don't think that audio components to organs is a fair comparison, but if it was, I don't think you could compare one type of preamp to a certain organ and then compare another type of preamp to a different organ. 

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

Maybe heart=center of the system

Liver= contributing but not the center

I still don't think this works as an appropriate analogy,  as the passive preamp is still performing the same function as the active. 

immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

From Cary Audio regarding their SLP 05 preamp:

 

Here’s what Steve Huff, professional audio reviewer and critic, had to say about our SLP-05 vacuum tube preamplifier.
 

[. . . ]

 It has weight, body and texture yet it also delivers that airy treble delivery that brings the magic.

While it does all of this it remains true to the Cary sound. Big, slightly warm, rich and human."
immatthewj
1,366 posts
 

. . . so yes, I would say that Cary is cognizant their preamps "color the sound."

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