2. amps-preamps
  3. 129834-151

Should I Switch Preamps?

Hi all,  I've got the itch to change things up... I'll try not to make this too lengthy.  I've been using an Odd Coda preamp... when looking for a pre in 2010,  I contacted Doug at Coda.  At that time Coda was switching over from the Line Stage CL to a unit that has phono built in CP.... He had 1 CL circuit boards left, but was out of CL chassis's,  but had 1 Windows Continuum 4 Chassis.  So I own a Coda CL that looks like a Continuum 4.  At the time I had the very best Sumo Model Nine that I had ever seen... Back in the my Marcof/SpeakerCraft Days,  we used to Sell Sumo and Modded many.... I snagged a Nine and took it to Ed Martin of Marcof.... He looked at the circuit carefully at one time, he debated Jim B about some things in this amp,  but cost was an issue so the Nine Is what it Is.... Ed took this Nine and transformed it.   Well,  I had a lightening strike about 2 years ago and lost my Nine.  I purchased a Coda Unison 3.1 to use until I decided what to do.... You guys that know this Integrated know that it is 125 watts to 8 and 250 to 4 with the first 35 watts being Class A.....I finally took my Old Sumo to Ed,  the original outputs are obsolete.  he has found a Motorola that he can do a few mods to the amp  and make it work fine...  so I hope to get my old Sumo back with even more improvements soon....  
So my Coda CL.... Coda is so well known for their amps but you just don't hear much about their pre's.... Overall, I have been very happy with this, I've compared it to a Pass X10 and the very picky and Proud X10 owner ended up saying that he couldn't tell them apart. Which isn't surprising considering the Coda heritage.... 
Still,  I have the itch to try something else.... I've decided to sell my Coda integrated and my Coda Pre,  get another pre and use some home brewed Abletec Class D amps until my Sumo is back.... I'm just praying that I don't kick myself for letting my Coda go for a song and getting something that  don't like as well.  
So,  even though my thought has searched through tubes,  in the past,  I got tired of tube rolling and not leaving my pre on and I really think that I'm staying solid state...  My budget is preferred to at $1000 to maybe $1700....
My Shortlist as been:
Jeff Rowland Capri
Conrad Johnson Premier 18LS (but I'd like 2 sets of outputs for a sub)
Audio Research LS-12
Bel Canto Pre 2 or Pre 3
Lastly would consider a Classe Six or CP60 or possibly a Muse Model 3 Signature...
Overall, I prefer the rich organic textured mid range of tubes, but the frequency extensions of SS.  
Overall sound stage is as important to me as frequency balance... 
I've seen at one time or another, every pre on my list within my budget range.  Any opinions or other options are appreciated.  I will most likely list my Integrated and pre here on Agon first along with a Technics SP25 with an ATP-12T arm  that I have filled with dampening putty and it is quite dead.  
So My audiophile brothers and sisters,  please advise. 
Tim 








timlub

Showing 3 responses by ghosthouse

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,287 posts
 
I have no idea whether you should switch preamps but to scratch the itch...
a Schiit Freya for $700?
Could run it with 4 - 6SN7s or completely tube-less. JFET buffer mode is what I’m using most of the time going into a hefty Class D. Balanced design too. You probably know Schiit allows a brief in home trial period (money back less 5% restocking).

It gets said all the time around here (I don’t know how many really believe it): Price ain’t a perfect predictor of performance. The Freya seems a good example of price way under-signifying audio quality.

Do you have to sell the Coda pre/amp to make the change? Sounds like you really like that gear. Wouldn’t it be better to hang onto those pieces until you’ve got something in hand you KNOW is better? Lower price on the Freya might let you do this.

Good luck.

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,287 posts
 
Hi @timlub

I’m certainly not trying to keep you from cleaning house! :-)

Don’t have a lot of pre-amp experience. Had auditioned a used CJ pre a while ago vs the Opera Reference 50 pre I owned. The CJ (sorry, don’t recall model) ran (2? 4?) - 6922s and had a stepped attenuator. Clicked when you operated the volume control. The CJ did some things better than the Ref 50 (maybe more heft to the overall sound with a little more lower mid range fullness) but whereas some things sounded better some things sounded worse. And I don’t mean because they were poorly recorded and the CJ was highlighting this. The CJ could give some recordings a bit of a hard edge to the sound. It really surprised me that some of music I had enjoyed (not all) could sound sort of "ugly" with the CJ. I may be the only person on the planet to think that, but I ended up keeping the Ref 50 and returning the CJ. Someone in another A’gon thread commented the difference was possibly due to the fact the Ref 50 ran a tube (EZ80) rectifier and the CJ did not. I am NOT bashing Conrad Johnson, just saying to my ear I didn’t care for it.

This all being my long-winded way (apparently) of getting to the Freya. I wanted to get a solid state backup for the Ref 50. It’s been a great piece. Hasn’t given a lick of trouble in the 10 years I’ve owned it but I was sort of migrating away from all tubes (Ref 50 uses 2-6H30s & 1 EZ80). The Freya had many attractive features (balanced design and 3 operating modes - 1 tubes; 2 solid state + plenty of input/output flexibility. Right out of the box I was taken with its more refined sound. Best way I can describe it...more "delicate" than the Ref 50 but that might give a false-impression of "light weight". More "detailed" than the Ref 50 but that might give a false-impression of "harsh". Refined as in nuanced and musical is how it seems to me. I am using balanced ICs into the Taranis amp. Listen mainly in JFET-buffered mode. Only use tubes for their greater gain when playing vinyl. Have taken the tubes out lately though I’ve heard a claim these 6SN7s can last 5000-10,000 hours. BUT if they’re installed, they are burning even if you are running in pure passive or JFET-mode and that just bothers me. Anyway, I’m very happy with the Freya. It has replaced the Ref.50. That is now in backup mode pending possibly putting it up for sale. The Freya has a few "quirks" and some of the first 6SN7s Schiit sent with it were noisy...but they quickly supplied replacements for those.

Hope this is useful info and that you can find time to audition a Freya. Good luck with your preamp search.

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,287 posts
 
"Not sure what I'll do yet....".

What I hope you do is have fun and enjoy, even more, some good music.  

You are very welcome, of course.







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