2. amps-preamps
  3. 1341531383

Stereo preamp upgrade

Hello! I was hoping to get some advice from the last true audiophiles. Some time ago I purchased my first separates system after my college roommate got me into home audio. The system consists of a Rotel RC-1070 preamp, Rotel RB-1080 amp, Paradigm Studio Monitor 100 v2's, with Tara Labs and AQ power cords and IC's. Something isn't "right" with my system. I'm pretty sure it's my preamp.

I've had a great opportunity to hear a LOT of equipment, since my aforementioned roommate was a repair tech at a local hi-fi shop. He would bring really nice gear home constantly and we would audition his repair work, not to mention the equipment at the store. He had the same speakers as I have now so I know how they can sound.

The Rotel preamp is decent but the bass is not 'warm & soothing,' but has more of a raw feel. It seems to be tight and controlled, likely due to the amp, but it just doesn't seem to have that 'earthy' feel if that makes sense. The soundstage could be improved. It seems wide enough, given my crappy apartment acoustics, but the depth just isn't there. There is no 3rd dimension. Tonality is great. It's not dark or overly bright.

So, I'm looking for a recommendation for a new preamp. I only want a stereo preamp. I would love to have one with a optical input, but I suppose I could get a DAC instead (that's a whole 'nother subject), as I've begun to use a computer to play .flac's. I'm looking to spend around $500 and don't mind if it's used. I've considered the Adcom GFP-750 as I know it's a solid unit, but I don't have much experience in preamps.

What would you do in my position? Music comes first.
chips_n_hotsauce
mechans
2,999 posts
 
What you want will have to be a future purchase, I'm afraid. The kind of sound you seem to want will come from some decent tube power amps. A lot of people start with a tubed pre. I found in my journey that it really wasn't the keys to the kingdom. If you want to go that tubed pre route, however, I heartily recommend a tubed pre by the AES division of Cary. The model is the AE-3, which sells used for less than $500 in certain iterations and rarely for more.
Unfortunately Upscale Audio is the last dealer Cary makes these pre amps for new. They put nice paint on it and filled it with options. This overstuffed version with stock tubes is $1200. That is not a lot for a good preamp but you will want to roll the tubes etc. It's really too bad that there is no base model to buy. Oh well!
realremo
455 posts
 
One of the reasons I went with the Parasound is because of the remote. A remote is an absolute must for me in a pre-amp, as my listening sessions occur for hours on end while working behind a desk at home. This severely limited my options when hunting for an affordable pre-amp, otherwise I might have gone with another unit. If a remote is similarly important to you, make sure you check that box during your investigations.
chips_n_hotsauce OP
3 posts
 
Thanks for your honest advice. Speaking of a tube pre, I happen to have a Little Dot MKIV that I bought on a whim to tinker with that needs new tubes. It sounded fabulous at the time, but one of the driver tubes was shot so it didn't sound its best. I think I'll go tube hunting and see what I can come up with and give it a go. It's always fun to experiment and see what becomes of it.

The Rotel pre isn't a bad unit at all, but if it's going to cost over a grand to get into the next 'class,' I'll just save more money and explore my options.

Speaking of bass, I have an Electron Kinetics Eagle 2 that when it worked, had really nice control over the 100's. I can't recall hearing anything like it for the price. Maybe I'll send it off to get fixed.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Look for an older Audible Illusions, like a 2B or 2D or something. You should be able to get one in your price range, and musically, I don't think you can do much better.
pdspecl
197 posts
 
If you can stretch your budget a bit a TAD Signature 150 would be a great choice. I recently acquired a N.E.W. P3 (made by Cary) for $525 and I'm very happy with it. With quality NOS tubes it equals the VTL 2.5 preamp that I had. AES also made my Cary has some nice preamps. An older Counterpoint SA-2000 is another alternative and well within your budget.
I suggest avoiding Audible Illusions. I had a Modulus 3 years back and it was hard on tubes. You're limited to specific tubes that can handle the abuse. I've read the rebuilt Dynaco PAS preamps using Van Alstine mods sound nice too for the money although I have not personally heard one. Whatever tube preamp you get you'll need to factor in additional cost or quality NOS tubes. They do make a difference. However, cost can add up quickly for good tubes. I tend to limit my preamp choices to preamps that use (6) or less tubes, preferably (4) to limit money needed for tubes.
Best wishes
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