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View Full Version : let´s talk about Preamps!



Figge
06-02-2004, 10:50 AM
hellu! i´ve sold my luxman now and im looking to get hold of a good pre amp. anybody have any suggestions? whats dynaco PAT-4? or maybe a gas thoebe? or would a usual dj mixer do the work?

Tom Loizeaux
06-02-2004, 11:11 AM
What do you want the preamp to do? What functions do you need and how transparent do you need it to be?
I bought an old Crown PSL-2 preamp because of the tone controls and loudness options... but wind up leaving the EQ in the bypass mode! I use it as a switching center.

Tom

boputnam
06-02-2004, 11:16 AM
Widget's got a really nice Adcom 750 something or other. Full of winkie features, fully balanced. Full priced, too... :(

Adcom GFP-750 (http://www.adcom.com/preamplifiers/gfp750.htm)

Figge
06-02-2004, 11:21 AM
i want it to sound good! have a cd & vinyl thats all. i hardly ever use the tonecontrols on my amps. best of all if there is no tonecontrols. so what i want is something that has a fine sound & good riia.


best regards

Figge
06-02-2004, 11:27 AM
that adcom shure looked nice! bo...but the price:mad: . i want some goodole vintage stuff. there is that pat-4 4sale nereby so just wondering if it is something to put money into. what u use bo?

scott fitlin
06-02-2004, 12:24 PM
Find a Crown IC-150 or PSL-2, and be happy. Both preamps are clean sounding, and last forever!

If you want a more vintage type of sound than go with the IC-150. Both the straight line and IC pre amps have defeatable tone controls!

Search for these on Ebay!

Figge
06-02-2004, 01:22 PM
i searced for PSL-2 and my god its beutiful! i think thats exactly what im looki´n for. found something else too! crown macro reference. i mean holy shit what an amp! anybody heard it? 750W @ 8 ohm dampingfactor 20000? unbelieveble!

scott fitlin
06-02-2004, 02:49 PM
Its a good sounding amp, for bass! very tight, very high resolution, and very clean! Lots of power too! These amps were voiced for studio and reference use, so what you put in is what you get out!

These are and were very expensive, so IF you can get one for a good price thats in great condition, its a good bass amp to have! I have also heard this amp play full range, and its clean, just not my favorite sound for midrange! it will work though!

:cool:

Robh3606
06-02-2004, 03:42 PM
If you don't mind vintage I have a Technics SU-A6 from their R+B series. Very nice MM,MC can adjust for cartridge sensitivity, can go no tone or with and has a great set of tone controls with selectable hinge points. Use it in my stereo set -up with my XPL's.

Rob:)

Ski
06-03-2004, 09:00 AM
Forget the PAT-4. I had one and recently got rid of it for about $45.00.

It was very capable, but not very musical.

Figge
06-03-2004, 09:49 AM
Originally posted by Ski
Forget the PAT-4


Hi ski!
and tnx. i´ve allready forgotten :D. i just saw the add & i need a preamp so i thought....well thx again for the warning.

Ian Mackenzie
06-03-2004, 01:44 PM
Íf you can use a soldering iron there are some nice Passlabs preamps at diyaudio.com, and passdiy.com, they have balanced outputs for your Amcron. Easy to put together , pcbs available

I've said it before but these relatively hi voltage hi class A mosfet preamps dowse the commercial chip stuff brigade in every department.

Ian

:D

Figge
06-08-2004, 02:16 AM
tnx for all advise! and whats the difference between balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs?

Ian Mackenzie
06-08-2004, 03:10 AM
Hi,

This was covered by Bo and other members in another thread recent, just do a search to understand how it works

In very basic terms its a system adopted in Pro audio for distribution of audio signals between equipment, often over long distances. ie mixers, pa racks etc

There are advantages in terms of noise and common termination, the dynamic headroom of the balancd line is also considerably higher than your RCA pre amp output.

If you are using multiple amplifers and other equipment, the balanced line helps avoid ground loops which otherwise degrade the signal to noise ratio.

Some say balanced signal paths are superior for audio quality reasons, while some equipment has provision for both balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs so as to be compatible with pro audio and consumer audio equipment.

Ian

johnaec
06-08-2004, 06:29 AM
Originally posted by Figge
tnx for all advise! and whats the difference between balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs? Basically, balanced means you take the two "signal" circuits, (+ and -), and run them inside a grounded "shield" circuit, which may be optionally connected to ground at only one end or the other to deal with ground loops, though most often both ends of the run are grounded. The most common type of connectors used for this are 3 pin "XLR" connectors. Industry standard is pin 2=positive, pin 3=negative, and pin 1= ground. Be aware though that many still use pin 3=positive - you want to be sure to get all your + going the same way.

An unbalanced system will only have one "positive" circuit, with "negative" being the same as the ground shield circuit, so there are only 2 electrical paths and not the 3 that the separate shield gives you.

John

John Nebel
06-08-2004, 09:25 AM
Telephones are 600 ohm balanced and it's why a mile or more of unshielded wire often running through electrically noisy environments can produce a fairly noiseless audio signal. If not in hi-fi terms, more than adequate for speech.

John

Jakob
06-11-2004, 03:11 AM
Hi Figge!

I think You are right in looking for vintage stuff since You want a good riaa. New preamps often have poor perfomance riaa's or lack them all together. The first question how ever is how much you are going to spend. I'm very satisfied with my new Luxman C-3, but it cost me 1700 euro. Luxman always has been known (with a few exceptions) to do nice riaa's so what was wrong with your old one? Sounded it bad or have you been infected with the upgrade-worm?

Check out what goes in Japan. Vinyl has been and still is, a big thing over there.

Regards

Figge
06-11-2004, 05:00 AM
yes i probably got that worm u mentioned! i dont want to spend 1700 euro but maybe 2 - 300, could go for one at 400 too but then its gotta be good. sold the luxman because...ehhm. dunno really! guess i thought it was too big to use as a pre-amp. and that interM REF-2300 "korea toy" did in fact sound more open than the luxman so i wanted to use that instead. gonna change the interm too. im thinking about some of the jbl amps! i guess they are fair price and good performance. (so i´ve been told). well any suggestions on pre amp?. i found a crown psl-2 in an add, but 500€ is just too much.

scott fitlin
06-12-2004, 01:31 PM
I have two Crown IC-150A pre amps. I might be coerced into parting with one. PM me if interested!

Figge
06-13-2004, 09:19 AM
tnx scott! u got PM :)

Figge
06-16-2004, 07:08 AM
does anyone have any experience with the pioneer exclusive C-3 pre-amp. probably early/mid 70:s. i have a shot at one of those..

Figge
06-19-2004, 10:37 AM
anybody has any experience with yamaha C-4, or pioneer exclusive c-3???

Norbert
06-20-2004, 05:24 AM
... better look for a Yamaha C-2a, great linestage and excellent phono stage including MC head amp.

Regards,

Norbert

Figge
07-06-2004, 11:22 AM
shit i really gotta find a preamp... sold the cheesy inkel mixer...now i use a kenwood taperecorder with plastic front alá 1983!. cd plugged to line in, and line out to the state of the korean art (interM) amp! a tape in the slot and press rec! and bingo u have a volume control for the amp! aint gonna reveal how it sounds, use ur imaginations!:) guess u could say im hearing some weakness from the gear thru my 4430:s

i do have my eyes on hof´s sony tough...