Budget Preamps for Atmaspheres?

Mpignone: "Are many preamps not fully balanced?"

Most preamps and most amps do not use balanced circuitry, they use single-ended circuitry. Balanced circuitry requires about double the parts, etc. Many manufacturers (such as conrad-johnson) choose NOT to spend the money to create balanced circuitry, as they believe it is NOT inherently better (or at least that single-ended circuitry is NOT inherently inferior).

I hope to have a pair of AS poweramps, the 140-Watt MA-1-IIIs, by the end of the year; I do NOT plan to use a balanced preamp with them.
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Jeffrey- I would caution you on the Atmas running single-ended. I had a buzz I could not get rid of (Ralph calls for a shorting pin in the XLRs if you run single-ended, but it was not a complete solution for me), but more importantly, they sound better through the XLR input even from my VAC pre, which I am told is only a pseudo-balanced output.

Mpignone, Please except my apology for having a complete brain fade and suggesting those very expensive preamps. I read your question... walked away to attend to something and then came back and was completely off point.

I too would suggest the Ear/Yoshino 834L, or I would offer a Juicy Merlin, Peach, Extreme, Blueberry (don't be put off by the names), PrimaLuna Prologue 5. Just to name a few.

Happy Listening!

Correction I meant PrimaLuna Prologue 3.

Just thought of a new one...Eastern Electric MiniMax Preamplifier sound good with vintage tubes.