EAR 868 is also a pretty safe choice - very musical, great tube sound, natural, good dynamics. If you get it without the built in phono stage, you can get it around $4k. I work with a great EAR dealer if you have any interest, feel free message me and can connect you with him to discuss EAR preamps.
Thinking of a new preamp and looking for advice...
So, I am currently running a BAT VK30 into a Parasound A21 to Golden Ear Triton 2 speakers. Sources are a Sony Z1ES and a Linn LP12 to a Parasound JC3+ phono stage. Green Audioquest cables all around. Most of my listening is vinyl--lots of jazz and 70's-80's rock and female vocals. I love the sound of my system, but the BAT is very finicky about power, and I have a ground loop that I cannot find...It works fine at other locations, but has a hum in only the right channel in my listening room...It's driving me bananas!
I demoed a Sonic Frontiers LS1 and the ground loop was gone, but it didn't have the open airy sound that my BAT does. I am looking into an Audio Research LS-27, and also a McIntosh C47. My must haves for a new preamp are at least 2 balanced inputs and balanced outs, and a remote control. I may like to stay with tubes, but I'm not opposed to SS either. Price-wise my ceiling is around $4000. I would love to here from anyone who has either of these preamps as to what they like or don't like about them. I am also open to suggestions.
Thanks for your input.
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http://www.libertyaudio.com/products/b2b-2-line-level-preamp-dac Above you can try out in your room - Built in DAC too :-) From its maker Good Listening Peter |
Re: ground loop I also had a ground loop hum in one channel. The search for the culprit was very frustrating. One time, I was comparing the SQ between a pair of RCA IC’s to a pair of XLR IC’s between my preamp and amp. As soon as I plugged both sets of IC’s in parallel, the hum disappeared. It didn’t matter where the input switch on the amp was set: XLR or RCA. After I decided to keep the XLR’s as the primary IC’s, I simply connected cheap Radio Shack IC’s on to the RCA connections between the preamp and amp. Hum gone! While I was at it, I inserted cheap RCA grounding plugs into the rest of the unused inputs on the preamp. It got even quieter! (If you do this be sure to do it on the inputs only, not the outputs). Hope this helps. |
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