preamps

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mhardy6647
mhardy6647 Posts: 33,027
edited February 2017 in 2 Channel Audio
Due to the kindness of a friend from MA, I got to play with a couple of nicer than average vacuum tube (kit built) preamps yesterday.

A tricked-out Bottlehead Foreplay:

32217139523_2ba58788a9_b.jpgDSC_7133 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

and a "Vacuum Tube Audio" SP14:

http://www.tubes4hifi.com/SP14.htm

SP14-235.jpg
32650125070_3866df6a74_b.jpgDSC_7135 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr


They both sounded pretty good to me (us). The Foreplay seemed a bit more forward sounding but was otherwise very much in the running with the SP14 thingy.

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  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 2,970
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    Why left/right gain plus master volume control? Has a nice clean design.
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,027
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    Just a way to manage gain, balance and easy adjustment of volume, I reckon.
    The three controls are all in the form of stepped attenuators. This particular example of this preamp, at least, is fairly seriously resourced.

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  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,892
    edited February 2017
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    I like foreplay, never experienced bottlehead but I am game.
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.

    Imagine making politics your entire personality.
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  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,892
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    Those do look real nice. I need to stay away from anything with tubes. With my addictive personality I can see me being tube poor.
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.

    Imagine making politics your entire personality.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,027
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    I've been trying to spend some time upstairs.
    So far, the rhythm of my consulting biz shows a lag in the first couple of months of the year, then some acceleration to a nutso end of the year. This is the best time of the year to play inside, too -- garden season's not that far away.

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  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
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    I would love to try a bottlehead phono pre in my setup or a budgie tube phono pre - just to see what some tubes would bring to the vinyl side of the setup.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,027
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    careful what you wish for :)

    The 'entry level' Bottlehead phono preamps sound pretty good. The gain is a little limited, though. Maybe not a big problem for normal folks :) but in my system I have to crank things up pretty much to their limits if I want to listen "loud".

    This isn't horrific but it's a little bit of a disappointment.

    For the record, there are ahem two Bottlehead phono preamps here.

    One is a very early version of their original preamp kit (the Seduction). It is 'bare bones' (none of the Bottlehead 'upgrades' -- except it was retrofitted with their later, better - shielded, if memory serves - power transformer).

    32444831221_f9f335ba8f_b.jpgDSCN5316 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    33038931165_18a0cd0d68_b.jpgDSCN5315 (1) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    this is what it looks like below decks (with the original PT):
    33038907205_8f8e25c3a9_b.jpgP1020755 (1) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    and :) this is what it looks like with the retrofitted, Bottlehead-brand PT:
    32997135926_172f122769_b.jpgP1020763 (1) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    The other one is mrbiron's kit-built Reduction. :)
    Rather nicer in all respects (including execution of the build & finish!) than my Seduction

    25277999734_db5e0833e2_b.jpgDSC_2913 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Both of these are two stage preamps using 6DJ8/6922 high-mu triodes and passive RIAA EQ.

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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 10,871
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    motorhead43026 wrote: »
    I like foreplay, never experienced bottlehead but I am game.

    Who doesn't like foreplay.....
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