A preamp can make a very nice difference but not at the price point you are considering. It sound like you are trying to integrate stero and home theater. There are several preamps that do this pretty darn good. You are probably looking at a pre over $1,000 (new) before you would hear much of an improvement. Obviously, I haven't heard all the pre's under $1,000 so this is just an opinion. I have gone through a similar upgrade, though my ultimate goal wasn't a tube pre, and I can tell you that a good pre makes a substantial difference in sound quality.
Replace my reciever acting as a pre with???
I recently purchased an Oddyssey Stratos amp and paired with a Yamaha RX-V2200 receiver serving as the pre. I've decided I can do without my center channel/suedo-surround system. For the short-term, I'm looking for an inexpensive pre-amp to replace the receiver duties until funds permit me to go with a tube pre. If I dump the receiver I loose the tuner feature, which the better half will frown upon. I've seen manufacturers like Adcom, Anthem, NAD, B&K, etc that have the tuner integrated with the pre-amp.
My question is, will I get significantly better sound stage and added warmth with one of these pre-amp/tuners than my current 2yr old Yamaha receiver? If so, what model would you recommend? Budget is around $300 used and I prefer a remote.
Thanx!
My question is, will I get significantly better sound stage and added warmth with one of these pre-amp/tuners than my current 2yr old Yamaha receiver? If so, what model would you recommend? Budget is around $300 used and I prefer a remote.
Thanx!