preamp or "no" preamp

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Comments

  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,537
    edited May 2011
    Ern Dog wrote: »
    After lots of research I ended up with a Placette preamp because it is know for it's transparency.

    What are your impressions of the Placette so far?
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited May 2011
    steveinaz wrote: »
    What are your impressions of the Placette so far?

    Love it. I'm thinking it's the last preamp I'll ever need. When I compared going direct vs using the Placette in the path, I thought it sounded better with the Placette. I'm interested in hearing how my Active version sounds compared to the Passive version.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,537
    edited May 2011
    I think it's the linearity of the vishay volume setup that makes a system sound better w/ the Placette in place. Has to be leaps and bounds better than any amp/source level control. Love my RVC as well...it's invisable and has a rock solid soundstage.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • scottyboy76
    scottyboy76 Posts: 2,905
    edited May 2011
    After a long day traveling 4-5 hours driving time to pick up my first separates from cl.

    Visiting my sick elderly mom, smelling the sellers cigar and pipe smoke residue all the way back, unloading and hooking it all up about 1230 because i just could not wait, turned on adcom amp, and voila, very loud music comes out, even though i had yet to turn on preamp.

    Needless to say i knew immediately what i had done, and having never heard of anyone doing this, just assumed i had ruined all of it before ever even trying it out.

    I almost welcomed todays rapture.

    For a few minutes before reconfiguring and unpuckering that is.
    humpty dumpty was pushed
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  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Posts: 1,313
    edited May 2011
    My DAC has a preamp built in. I initally ran the DAC direct to the amps and found the sound too edgy and sterile. Much too clean for my taste. Once I added the tube pre amp, the edge was gone and and the music was a bit softer and more in what I was looking for.

    I don't think there is a hard and fast answer to a preamp or not. It is what sounds the best to you. I personally prefered the tube pre in line instead of a direct connection.

    Gordon
    2 Channel -
    Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
    McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
    WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
    Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited May 2011
    IMO, the best of both worlds: http://www.wyred4sound.com/webapps/p/74030/117839/364714
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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