@carey1110
Regarding the GAT, you’ll want to give careful consideration to the fact that like most CJ preamps and line stages it has very high gain, 25 db in this case. If you use digital sources, which of course usually provide considerably higher output voltages than phono stage/cartridge combinations, depending on the gain of the amp you end up choosing, and on your listening distance and other variables, the result might be having to use its volume control at undesirably low settings. And while the not particularly high 91 db efficiency of your speakers suggests that might not be an issue, it is a factor that should be considered IMO.
Also, the fact that the GAT provides only unbalanced outputs might result in it not being fully optimal for use with whatever amp you end up choosing. And for that matter there are a few fully balanced amps, notably the Audio Research Ref series of amps, which only provide XLR inputs and in addition cannot be properly driven by single-ended signals even if an RCA-to-XLR adapter is used. In those cases something like a Jensen transformer would have to be used to convert a preamp’s single-ended outputs to a true balanced pair of signals. I mention that, in connection with ARC specifically, because in your initial post you indicated that tube amps are a possibility.
Good luck, in any event. Regards,
-- Al
Regarding the GAT, you’ll want to give careful consideration to the fact that like most CJ preamps and line stages it has very high gain, 25 db in this case. If you use digital sources, which of course usually provide considerably higher output voltages than phono stage/cartridge combinations, depending on the gain of the amp you end up choosing, and on your listening distance and other variables, the result might be having to use its volume control at undesirably low settings. And while the not particularly high 91 db efficiency of your speakers suggests that might not be an issue, it is a factor that should be considered IMO.
Also, the fact that the GAT provides only unbalanced outputs might result in it not being fully optimal for use with whatever amp you end up choosing. And for that matter there are a few fully balanced amps, notably the Audio Research Ref series of amps, which only provide XLR inputs and in addition cannot be properly driven by single-ended signals even if an RCA-to-XLR adapter is used. In those cases something like a Jensen transformer would have to be used to convert a preamp’s single-ended outputs to a true balanced pair of signals. I mention that, in connection with ARC specifically, because in your initial post you indicated that tube amps are a possibility.
Good luck, in any event. Regards,
-- Al