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Recommendations for SS preamp for Pass XA-30.8

I want to change my Pass Labs XP-10 preamp to another analog SS preamp around $ 3500-5500 (or less) new or used with balanced XLR inputs and outputs, remote control and HT Bypass.

Looking for more revealing and resolving sound with more air around instruments, better/tighter bass, better 3D imaging and wider/deeper soundstage.

The rest of the system:

Transport: OPPO BDP-105
Amp: Pass Labs XA-30.8
Speakers: Snell C7 (Floorstanding, 3-way, tri-wired, 89Db)
Interconnects: Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval
Speaker Wires: Analysis Plus Oval 9, Oval 12, Oval 12.

Any help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Alex
karapuz
team212
223 posts
 
Hi, Try the Klyne--if you can find one

Des
w3ux
19 posts
 
I would look at your source. The OPPO is a fine Blu-ray player but is a mediocre transport. My friend was using one with a Bryston DAC and upgraded to a Sim moon 260d and the level of refinement was not subtle. Soundstage size increased, musicality, dynamics, aireness, another league.
karapuz OP
9 posts
 
W3ux, most of my music is digital (FLAC's 16/44, 24/96 and 24/192 kHz, DSD, Blu-Ray-Audio and DVD-Audio images), some SACD's and red book CD's.
I'm quite happy with the OPPO and in my opinion, OPPO's DAC based on Sabre32 in very good, recently I had an opportunity to do A-B comparison of OPPO DAC with the $ 5000 Antelope Platinum DAC playing same content through 2 Plinius SA-103 mono blocks and KEF Blades. The difference was very-very little and definitely didn't worth $ 3800 difference in prices.
That's why I'm thinking about changing my preamp and looking at other SS preamps.
Any recommendations?
Thank you.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
"Looking for more revealing and resolving sound with more air around instruments, better/tighter bass, better 3D imaging and wider/deeper soundstage."

Alex hi, if you want all the above, just use your Oppo direct into the Pass XA30.8 and use the Oppo's volume control.
This will be the most transparent/dynamic you can get, you will get what's been recorded nothing more nothing less, with no added colouration or distortions, that active preamps will bring into play.

Cheers George
w3ux
19 posts
 
karapuz I said the Oppo was a mediocre transport not DAC. The reason you didn't hear big differences is because you used the same transport into a different DAC. If you would use a 2 channel dedicated CDP/transport you would hear the difference. The transport section of the Oppo is optimized for Blu-Ray, 2 channel is an afterthought.
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