2. amps-preamps
  3. 186512-135250

Help and opinions needed on pre-amp situation

For this one, I would like to hear from enthusiats instead of people who sell stuff. I’ve been using integrated amplifiers for all my years in this "hobby." I recently went to mono blocks- a pair of the class D Atma-Shpere’s to be specific. I’m using balanced XLR connections straight from a Lumin S1 streamer/dac/preamp into the mono blocks using Lumin’s LeedH volume processing deal. It’s a nice and simple setup with nothing else in the signal path.

The question is: am I missing out on better sound by leaving out an Atma-Sphere MP-3.3 tube preamp? Will adding a preamp improve, diminish, or retain the existing sound quality- as far as soundstage, imaging, depth, tonal balance etc is concerned? This preamp deal is not cheap (for me). Has anyone been in this situation? Did the preamp improve the sound, keep it the same, or make it worse? Am I better off just leaving it as-is with my minimalistic setup?

A couple of other things to consider:

My turntable is collecting dust since changing over to the mono blocks, I didn’t listen to vinyl often even with the integrated since my digital front sound better then my vinyl gear. If it made $ense, it would be nice to have the ability to listen to vinyl again.

At some point I may also have to connect a projector to my system to play audio. Then the issue becomes that projectors do not have balanced XLR output. Most are HDMI. I’m not sure if the MP-3 preamp will work or if a different preamp is better choice here etc. I’d like to keep with the same brand for obvious reasons if possible.

Has anyone been in this situation before and pulled the trigger? If you have- your input, suggestions, and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

veerossi
elliottbnewcombjr
5,249 posts
 

Well, IMO it's a mistake to call the Lumin a PreAmp, as it has no line inputs.

I suggest you keep it for anything digital, and add a tube preamp with both MM and MC phono built in (several loading options for MC). Then dust that old TT off, see if you get into vinyl, then upgrade, some or bit by bit.

A tape loop would be nice to run your Lumin thru. I like old world features: balance; mode (stereo/mono/all L/all R ... whatever

Of course remote volume, for me remote balance is a gift for the tracks I find 'off' a bit. A minor balance tweak can make a big imaging improvement.

lak's avatar
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lak
4,549 posts
 

Trial and error is the only way for you to know for sure what you like best. I know audiophiles that swear by the use of preamps and others that say a direct hook-up is best.

rcm1203's avatar
rcm1203
75 posts
 

It only took me 50+ years and who knows how many dollars to arrive at a system that I am 100% happy with. The one truism about our hobby is that it is not static (pun intended). We are constantly questing for that next thing that will elevate our sound to the dream we have in our minds. Although I have owned some excellent integrated amps, I have always tended to like component setups because they give you more flexibility to experiment with how your system sounds. A preamp that checks all the right boxes for your preferences is a must have in that regard. Finding it gives you a good solid base to work with, and it can easily become the one component that remains the same in your system. With few exceptions, a neutral amplifier can only sound as good as the preamplifier feeding it.

jimmy2615
417 posts
 

I would highly recommend trying a preamp in your chain to see if it makes a difference.  Buy a used Benchmark LA4, because it is relatively inexpensive and you can resell it very easily.  More importantly it is a known commodity - super transparent and neutral. I believe you will hear a meaningful difference (not because it is neutral only but because it is a very good preamp and will tell you if preamps make a difference).  Then, if you want to roll in a different preamp you can, and will have a frame of reference.  I have had Lumin Streamers, with Leedh, and never understood it - just sounds boring to me.

ghdprentice
6,504 posts
 

A great preamp will add the musical richness to a system 99% of the time. The systems that sound better without are a real rarity. In the rare occasions that they are not required, I suspect they belong to folks that appreciate detail over musicality. Because without a good pream the sound tends to sound highly detailed and a little dead.

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