Synergy Synergy Synergy...PREAMP

audiocr381ve
audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
edited January 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
Another pre-amp thread, yes. But this ones different because I have good some good info to work off of if you're interested in helping me find one.

Some of you already know I pulled the trigger on Pepster's B&K REF 200.2 S2. Some of you also know that I'm rocking the SDA-2BTL's. I need to find a pre that mates like Avatar with the B&K REF amp. I like my pre-amps like I like my coffee, warm, rich, deep, involving, and romantic (I haven't had a romantic coffee per say). I'm not after incredible detail retrieval and I don't care for bright.

Now here's the impossible. My budget. $500. Is there anything out there in this price range?
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2012
    audiocr381ve wrote: »
    ...I like my pre-amps like I like my coffee, warm, rich, deep, involving, and romantic...

    Sounds like you need some tubes in your life.:biggrin:

    That B&K should drive your 2B's beautifully! Congrats on the purchase.


    What about the Dared unit everybody seems to like?
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

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  • soundfreak1
    soundfreak1 Posts: 3,414
    edited January 2012
    Vereasy choice, dared sl2000a under 500. Easy but u will need to up grade the Chinese tubes . Best bang for the buck I know up. Lots of info here about it. I know your amp and I think it will match nicely. Plus Joe at dared will give u a couple weeks to try outamd return it if u don't like it. Read the reviews.
    Main Rig:
    Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
    Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
    Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
    MIT exp 1 ic's
    Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
    AQ kingcobra ic's
    OPPO 83 CDP
    Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
    Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
    Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
    ADS L1590/2 Biamped
    MIT exps2 speaker cable
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited January 2012
    My vote is room treatments
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    Hmmm, I may give that Dared a try. Any other Dared owners that want to chime in?

    Larry, I can't go crazy with room treatments but maybe a few absorption panels on the walls would be okay. It's not like I can't pull the sounds I want from the system as is too. In fact, it sounds great as is, I'm just taking it up another notch.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited January 2012
    Room treatments is taking it up another notch.
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited January 2012
    I'm sure room plays a part into this.

    My room is one very odd layout and where the audio is placed and where the seating position is, it sounds great with bass galore. I don't have to run subs what so ever. However I wonder if that would make or break the sound for me. I too, need to get a solid pre someday and stop using my AVR.
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    Room treatments is taking it up another notch.

    I should have been more clear. Other than a few absorption panels, it wouldn't be possible to have massive bass blockers, diffusion, ceiling panels, etc. It's a shared space that my wife and daughter are in everyday, aka a living room. If it was up to me, I'd do it up big. But I can't.
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    I'm thinking I need to give tubes another try. The Dared only has 3 tubes which is why I'm seriously considering it. Any more than that and it becomes a hassle. Are their any competitors in the $500 range as far as tube preamps go?
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited January 2012
    Get a Dared and hear what Audio Nirvana is.

    Seriously though, we could spout off 20 great pre's but honestly the Dared is just better.

    Get some NOS tubes for it and you will thank us later.

    PS, tubes need to burn in to sound good. They also need to warm up before they sound good. Don't expect the world from the original Chinese tubes in them.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited January 2012
    The biggest draw back with tubes for me, is they need time to warm up and stabilize to sound their absolute best. Usually about 30-45 minutes. In the main rig this usually isn't a problem because it takes my amp atleast an hour to come up and sound it's best. But, that means I need to think ahead if I want to do some serious listening. All the components work at power up so I have sound, they just sound a lot better after about an hour.

    My office rig is where it could become a hassle because sometimes I want to sit down for a 1/2 hour or so and do something, with tunes going, and the amps hasn't reached it full listening potential and I don't like to cycle it on and off in such a short period of time. The longer you can leave the tubes run (as opposed to a few on/off cycles) the better for tube life, etc.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited January 2012
    aricaudiosystems.com tell him i sent you;)
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2012
    There's no way you'll be disappointed with the Dared, even starting with the Chinese tubes. Trying different tubes has been a blast for me so far and can be done with any budget in mind.
    Do it. Do it.
    b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
    Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    Dared it is. I'm loving the price.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited January 2012
    The Dared responds well to tube rolling,,plenty of advice on the forum,,I think we all agree on the rectifiers,,Brimar for some,,Bendix for others,,that leaves the signal tubes,,don't scrimp there.Good luck and have fun.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    george daniel wrote: »
    The Dared responds well to tube rolling,,plenty of advice on the forum,,I think we all agree on the rectifiers,,Brimar for some,,Bendix for others,,that leaves the signal tubes,,don't scrimp there.Good luck and have fun.

    Very cool. I'll have to do some research on that.
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