2. amps-preamps
  3. 1297366963

Preamp suggestions for Thiel 3.6 & Bryston 4B-sst

I've got a bright sounding system due to the wide dispersion of my Thiel 3.6 speakers and a 'live' room.

I'm using a solid state Bryston BP25 preamp now but am considering other options (up to $2500 used) to warm/sweeten things up and soften the top end. Rock can be harsh. Ideally I'd like:
1. Balanced and single ended ins and outs
2. Phono stage (MM at least, MC a bonus) plus tuner and balanced CD input
3. Remote (Yes I'm lazy I know)
4. Headphone output would be nice but not essential

I like what I've read about Audio Research preamps. Seems like they are detailed while still having that tube warmth and sweetness.

Suggestion welcome. Thanks!
dbdog
rgd
656 posts
 
Many people have had success matching ARC preamps to Bryston amps (I am one of them) but if its a "warmth" you are looking for those ARC preamps with 6h30 tubes (LS-17/26/ref3) to name a few won't give you what you are looking for. Older ARC preamps that use other tube sets will better serve your need and offer the opportunity to tube roll unlike those with the 6h30 tube. I really like my ARC LS-26 mated to my Bryston 7B-SST2 amps but it does not provide a "warm" presentation...

Cannot recommend if there is an ARC preamp that will give you everything your "require" in a single box as I am not familiar with their older models but my guess is you may end up with another solid state preamp if you need to get all those options into one chassis.
markwatkiss
476 posts
 
Having owned several Bryston amps my pre amp of choice was an AR LS 15 with Infini caps.Together they yielded a distortion floor as low as any combination I've used.
samzx12
883 posts
 
Cables can help with warmth also. Good suggestion on the LS-15.
bifwynne
2,069 posts
 
Hi Dbdog: I own all ARC gear (pre, phon, CD and amp) and love it!! I've tried several ARC pre-amps (SP-9, SP-16, SP-17 and Ref-3) and amps (VS 110 and VS 115). Don't know much about Bryston. Let me put something out there for you to think about. I also encourage others to weigh in too of course.

Rather than an ARC pre-amp, how about an ARC amp? I'm not sure whether the pre or the amp will contribute more to the type of "warm-tubey" sound you are looking for. If you want to think about the amp route, I suggest a VS 110. There was a VS 110 for sale on A'gon for a decent price, but I just checked and saw that it was sold. No surprise there. It's a great amp. Not to worry though because a VS 110 always comes up for sale from time to time.

If you are still bent on an ARC pre, I see that there is a SP-17 listed on A'gon for sale for $2300. It is a very good pre and will deliver a lot of what your looking for, but not everything (e.g., only SE inputs and outputs). See http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1300766954 Check ARCDB.com for details.
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