Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid PreAmp heard it?

I’m actually in the process of stripping my pinnacle’s down to get essential parts and then throwing them away before they take out one of my VOXATIV full range drivers…IMHO THEY ARE A FLAWED DESIGN 

I built my kitset TRANSCENDENT GGP back in 2012. It has always been a superb preamp.

But recently I got the itch and applied a bunch of upgrades and modifications. Still the same circuit but with better components and some 'house-keeping' tweaks in terms of implementation.

The GGP now easily outperforms my incredible DJANGO TVC passive preamp that uses the much lauded S&B transformers found in the pricey MUSIC FIRST preamps. Before the upgrades, the DJANGO easily outperformed the stock GGP.

The GGP is also utterly silent - like switched-off silent - through my sensitive (8-ohm) BLUMENSTEIN single-driver speakers, AT FULL VOLUME!

Worth noting too, that I have only spend around $1,000 extra on the GGP and still only use an ALPS BLUE volume pot.

Needless to say, the GGP responds big-time to good house-keeping tweaks.

Mine's a keeper!

Save yourself a heap of money and buy yourself the kitset for $499. (You'll thank me later...)

[Associated Gear: LINN SONDEK LP12 'HOT-ROD / ITTOK / SHELTER 501 MK2 / RAY SAMUELS NIGHTHAWK / FIRST WATT J2 / BLUMENSTEIN ORCA/DUNGENESS]

Yup, it sounds like a sound piece with room for upgrades and mods - that of course would make it a more expensive pre, but as you say, a good platform for skilled tinkerers - not me.

I have owned this preamp. It is the best of the less than $1000 preamps I've had in my system. Excellent low end response, fast and dynamic. It is, however, not as transparent as I think it could be. Replacement of the cheap volume pot, either with something of exceptional high quality or something nouveau like a LDR -- I believe such a substitution would take the Grounded Grid to another level.

A DIY type would get great value out of this preamp.

It would be interesting to hear this preamp with an LDR volume control. I imagine someone in the DIY community has tired this mod.

Hi,
It is about the middle of road, better than AI Modulus 3, and not as good as BAT VK5. About an equivalent to AI M3A.

If you get it for about $500, it is worth it. However, it has a cheap volume pot, and may be worthy of upgrading (but then it no longer a $500 preamp).

I own a grounded grid. At the moment, I'm going direct from CD to amp, so I'm not using it. I can repeat what I've said on other forums--it clearly outperformed my ARC LS15, which cost 3 times as much used. It is DEAD quiet (especially when not in the system :) It won't noticeably add or detract anything to or from the sound, and I was running it through Merlin Milleniums, a very 'revealing' speaker. It is a very bare-bones preamp, though. In it's 'stock' form, no remote, etc. If you're interested, look up the Soundstage review--the guy compares it very favorably to a Joule ELectra. Of course, the Joule is 'better', but the GG matches up very well, given the price differential.