2. amps-preamps
  3. 1401877148

Any thoughts on removing a preamp from your system

Hello guys

This is my first post and I have been on Audiogon for a number of years now.

My question to the group is, have any of you removed your preamp completely from your system? Run your front ends straight to your amp? And, what benefits have you noticed, if any.

And finally, if you have used a passive preamp in your system, what are your thoughts on the setup?

I understand one would need to have some sort of "pot" in the signal path to regulate volume.

Herb
hcalland
stewie
182 posts
 
Thanks for the help George. Much appreciated.
o_holter
541 posts
 
I think Charles1dad put it right:
"over time and continued listening it's
apparent that the sound is leaner and lacking the complete sonic picture"
My experience too, even with a a top class Aesthetix Io upgraded to Eclipse status. Very clear, but a bit washed out - my speakers sounded slow, until I got a good preamp.
o_holter
541 posts
 
I think Charles1dad put it right:
"over time and continued listening it's
apparent that the sound is leaner and lacking the complete sonic picture"
My experience too, even with the Aesthetix Io upgraded to Eclipse status. Very clear, but a bit washed out - my speakers sounded slow, until I got a good preamp.
Why? The preamp is "the heart of the system" isn't it?
czarivey
4,494 posts
 
O_holter, It seems to me that preamp is stomach rather than heart. No stomach, you can only use intestine:-)
o_holter
541 posts
 
Could be right Czarivey. Or the back bone, I am thinking, since I have a prolapsis now. Whatever the analogy, it is central. Listening now to the integrated Ming Da Mc-34a amp and Aurum Cantus speakers at my cottage. It can't compare to my main rig, but it does very well, at its level, and one reason is that there is no preamp problem. The preamp is integrated, well-tuned to the main amp, in one box. When we go for bigger, more specialized systems, we have to work out more of the system synergy ourselves.
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