Preamp to pair with Manley Snappers?

Why not at least try the Manley preamp with your Snappers? Usually manufacturers play particular close attention to matching and optimizing partnering components.

Bbybaudio, the Manley preamps are exceptional pieces and I would also recommend auditioning them before moving away from the line. Even the $1800 Shrimp sounds better than it has any right to at it's price point. Sweet presenation with excellent low and upper end extension. The upper end has a beautiful sense of "air" while th elower end is fast and tight.

I'm waiting for my Manley Shrimp to be delivered. Check their web site if you can't find a dealer locally. I got two emails from Manley's pres. and two phone calls from their sale's manager within a day.

Thanks for the input. I was staying away from the Manley products due to lack of balanced outs. Similarly for the Cary SLP98. I actually do not know what differences in sound I will get in switching from XLR to RCAs.

If you can do fully balanced from the source to preamp to amp you should get really nice sound. The only question is if you'll like listening to the resulting sound. If you're not doing fully balanced from source through to amp then I think that you (and I have in the past) will not see the benefit. Having said, I think that chasing the sound might be more satisfying than the electronic signal configuration (perhaps cheaper too). Good luck....