Mixed Brand Pre-Amp Power Amp Pairings that Work


I am thinking of and starting from scratch and revamping my pre-amp to power amp chain. I know that the performance of these two elements will be tightly coupled, so they need to match.

I suppose the easiest thing for me to do would likely be to stick with one brand (potentially even an integrated) and assume that they have optimally paired their own components to work well together. But even if I ended up getting pre- and power from one brand, I would want to do some thinking about the best pairing.

I would love to hear from folks here with more experience than me with off brand pairings. What worked? What didn't? All thoughts are much appreciated

saulh

I have mixed and matched for most of the last fifty years. At first because the best in each category was made by a different manufacturer and also a lack of funds to buy what I really wanted.

 

Much more recently… with adequate funds, simply by upgrading I ended up with nearly all Audio Reseach equipment minus one. My audio dealer brought over the one missing piece without me asking and said just try this. I was sold in a few minutes.

 

I think the world has changed. There are some high end companies where you get a huge advantage in synergy. Audio Research is definitely one of them. I will not be mixing and matching any more.

Even in the relatively small world of high end audio there are of course different schools of engineers. Two like-minded engineers were (both are recently deceased) Roger Modjeski of Music Reference (and RAM Tube Works) and Tim de Paravicini of EAR-Yoshino, both experts in the field of tube amplification circuitry and the design and build of transformers.

I have found the EAR-Yoshino 868 pre-amp to be a superb partner with any of Modjeski's power amps (the RM-9, RM-10, and RM-200, all of which I own in Mk.2 form). The EAR 868 affords both single-ended and true AES48-compliant balanced outputs (via Paravicini's own transformers), so can be mated with both the single-ended input RM-9 and RM-10 amps and the balanced-input only RM-200. Unlike almost all other tube amplifier makers, Modjeski hand-wound his own transformers. 

A combo that is unknown, to most of you out there is: Backert Labs and McGary Audio. If you dig yourself out of the marketing and review mentality you will get to listen to this magnificent examples of super bargain audio here.😇

@drvinyl01

Thank you for you incredible insight. Please share your experience, systems, history, and venue so we can benefit from your unique insight.

I have an ARC LS27 preamp paired with a Luxman M900U power amp, Speakers Harbeth 40.2 anniversary. I think that combination works really well.