2. amps-preamps
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Upgrade Amp or Preamp 1st? Conrad Johnson?

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade the 2 channel performance of my system within a home theater 5.1 set up.

Currently have Sonus Faber Cremona M's, Oppo 95, Emotive XPA 5 amp and Emotiva UMC 1 for a pre pro.

I will be replacing both the amp and pre. The question is which to do first. Which will give me the bigger performance upgrade? It has been recommended to me to get a dedicated preamp and not a prepro for better 2 channel performance.

I have been researching Conrad Johnson Tube preamps used for $2000 -$2500. It is hard to actually demo them and I have been going on reviews that I have read.

Any suggstions would be appreciated.

Thank You
pkelly1504

Showing 1 response by sogood51

sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Both would make a difference, but unless your amp is a poor match with your speaker, I would start with a very good 2 channel preamp (I like the tube idea).

Just make sure that the new preamp doesn't have mismatched gain with your present amp.

Dave
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