Best Preamp 300-500 Range

Are you using the Kenwood receiver as a phono stage only, or as your phono stage, line stage, and amplifier?

I think you'd get a quantum leap in resolution with an Onkyo A-9555 integrated amp. As a preamp/amp, it is stupid fast, linear, neutral, and yet musical for the money, and the built-in phono preamp is pretty good. But if you want to take it a level higher, add a Cambridge Audio 640P phono stage and plug it into one of the A-9555's many line stage inputs.

I have an SL1210M5G with Audio Technica AT150MLX going into this very signal chain (including the Cambridge phono stage), and it's stunning for the money spent. It provides me with a level of high end transparency and speed without sacrificing musicality that I thought I'd never be able to afford.

I also have a Denon DL-160; I could hook it up and see how it sounds into the Onkyo (with or without the Cambridge) and let you know. By almost all accounts, the DL-110 and 160 sound nearly identical and have the same output.

The Onkyo can be had for as little as $400 as B-stock or $450-484 as A-stock, and the Cambridge is $169. Right in your price range and you get a killah power amp in the bargain.

And I mean, this amp is something else at $480!

Johnnyb53 has good advice. A phono stage isn't going to change much (if anything). A good integrated or a decent receiver is a better path to pursue.

Thanks, it looks like it's hard to find a negative, or even average review of the 9555. I really appreciate the info--Cheers

09-30-08: Jmoog08
Thanks, it looks like it's hard to find a negative, or even average review of the 9555.

I've been into home audio for 39 years and bought my own first stereo 36 years ago. I worked in a high end store for awhile in the mid-'70s in SoCal and have always sought to get the best separates (usually used or demos) I could afford. For me the A-9555 has re-defined the price/performance ratio for an amp and preamp, and not in an incremental way. It sounds to me like something I'd have had to pay $1500 and up for just a couple years ago, Its sonic signature, speed, clarity, and transparency have more in common with a $10K stack of high end separates than with other integrated solutions in its price range.

It's difficult not to wax hyperbolic about this integrated.

try the Rogue Stealth-forget dampening kills the sound!(unless you use 3 in 1 oil not silicon)