Which Preamp would match my system?

I would go for the Passion preamp. That way you are sure you are getting everything from your very fine amplifier - and they match as a bonus. Arthur

A nice tidbit of information from AudioCircle about the Rogue 99.....so I do not get harrased by biased Rogue Preamp owners!

Mad DOg

Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 903
Location: San Diego/Riverside County
Wed Oct 06, 2004 9:31 am

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i owned the rogue magnum 99 and didn't experience excessive bloom, but it was noisy and microphonic which led me to get rid of it...

Would vouch for a high quality tubed preamp such as First Sound Presence or a Bat, with the super tubes. Honestly, for the type of system I personally feel that the Rogue would bring the level down a notch. There are some Rogue users out there but I have read that their tubes need to be closely matched or else, you might wind up with some noise issues. A hot rodded First Sound Presence Deluxe II, with a single input and direct heating of the source with the tube...would not that sound spectacular with your highly revealing source. Talk to Emmanuel, he is a great person to discuss the needs. For world class set ups such as yours, why settle for anything iffy or less than the best?

Of the few pre's I've tried with a Passion, I particularly enjoyed the Passion & the CAT Ultimate -- both of these are expensive, as you note. I also liked a Symphonic Line -- but that's even more expensive...

From there it's pure speculation; the Passion stereo is an easy load, so the choice is huge. It's also an exquisite amplifier with excellent resolution. So, using a "good" pre (as opposed to an "outstanding" pre) will be audible.
Have you thought of going passive? A transformer volume control can offer excellent results, and you have lots of power in the Passion and reasonably efficient speakers -- so maybe you can live without the extra db's a pre will offer.

Rogue Magnum 99 got many great review at audioreview, and it's fairly priced.