Favorite Preamps - Best BANG for the $$$

dee1949
dee1949 Posts: 1,425
edited January 2013 in The Clubhouse
...my favorites are : 2 channel

B&K pro10mc
Acurus RL11
Carver C-1
Kenwood Basic C-2 (cheapest )

...have a friend looking for a deal on a GOOD preamp.
Post edited by dee1949 on
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  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited January 2013
    Yaqin ms-12b tube pre w/phono and one linestage- very affordable and very nice. pm me if your friend may be interested. I am sellingand am in Maryland.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,201
    edited January 2013
    Though this seems like a shameless plug, I honestly wouldn't mention it if I didn't feel like it was a great bang for the buck pre. NAD 116 I have in the FM is tough to beat at the asking price.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2013
    Luminous Audio Axiom II passive preamp
    Jake
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  • jmwest1970
    jmwest1970 Posts: 846
    edited January 2013
    There's not shame in my game. I've enjoyed the Arcam Alpha 9 preamp that I have in the FM for several years. I don't think you'll find anything as smooth in a pre unless you go tubes.
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    zingo wrote: »
    Luminous Audio Axiom II passive preamp

    +1 on this.
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  • danz1906
    danz1906 Posts: 5,144
    edited January 2013
    Adcom GFP-750
    Linn AV5140 fronts
    Linn AV5120 Center
    Linn AV5140 Rears
    M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
    Odyssey Mono-Blocs
    SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2013
    Dawgfish wrote: »
    +1 on this.

    You can't do much better for a new preamp than one that's custom tuned to the specs of your system for a couple hundred dollars.

    axiom2_multi_front_MD.jpg
    Jake
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited January 2013
    P1010187.jpgWright WLA-12

    Anthem Pre 1L and 2L

    P4170002.jpgSlide1.JPG
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2013
    Bang for the buck? The Parasound PH/P-850 was a steal when available.
    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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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited January 2013
    zingo wrote: »
    You can't do much better for a new preamp than one that's custom tuned to the specs of your system for a couple hundred dollars.

    axiom2_multi_front_MD.jpg

    If only it had a phono input and a remote :biggrin:......

    Althought I dont know if its possible for a passive to have either of those options.....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2013
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    If only it had a phono input and a remote :biggrin:......

    Althought I dont know if its possible for a passive to have either of those options.....

    Phono, probably not.

    But some recent conversations with Tim from Luminous hinted at releasing a remote control version, as well as a ladder relay version would give more awesome options and flexibility to an already great product.
    Jake
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited January 2013
    dared sl2000a
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    zingo wrote: »
    Phono, probably not.

    But some recent conversations with Tim from Luminous hinted at releasing a remote control version, as well as a ladder relay version would give more awesome options and flexibility to an already great product.

    That sounds sweet. I love my Axiom pre, but I often wish it had a remote, but not at the cost of sound quality.
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2013
    The ladder relay version would most likely use discrete resistors which should increase sound quality over the current pot. The remote control option would then operate that attenuator, or the current ALPS pot, so no loss of sound quality either way.
    Jake
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  • soundfreak1
    soundfreak1 Posts: 3,414
    edited January 2013
    +1 on the dared
    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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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,726
    edited January 2013
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Bang for the buck? The Parasound PH/P-850 was a steal when available.
    Beat me to it, +1
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,080
    edited January 2013
    Bump:smile:
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,224
    edited January 2013
    sda2mike wrote: »
    dared sl2000a
    soundfreak1 wrote: »
    +1 on the dared


    I'm probably the only person here to say this... Ehhh:neutral:
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited January 2013
    You're a Canadian! :) you what they say abt opinions...with the dared: for every "ehhh"
    , there's 30 "YES!" votes. just sayin
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,224
    edited January 2013
    And that's fine. I'm just not a big fan. The more time I spent with it the less I desired it..

    It has not been fired up in months still like brand new collecting dust. W4S blows it away!!! I would take anything mentioned above over it..
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,080
    edited January 2013
    zingo wrote: »
    But some recent conversations with Tim from Luminous hinted at releasing a remote control version

    If this happens I would buy one. Thanks for the post I have never seen or heard of this one.
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    zingo wrote: »
    The ladder relay version would most likely use discrete resistors which should increase sound quality over the current pot. The remote control option would then operate that attenuator, or the current ALPS pot, so no loss of sound quality either way.

    Sweet. I'll definitely be in line for one of those in my second system.
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited January 2013
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    And that's fine. I'm just not a big fan. The more time I spent with it the less I desired it..

    It has not been fired up in months still like brand new collecting dust. W4S blows it away!!! I would take anything mentioned above over it..

    interesting..no pre is permanent..i'll put it on my list, the w4s
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited January 2013
    which one is the w4s?..
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited January 2013
    Oh yeah, I also recommend the Anthem Amp 1 and 2 like Tracy suggested. Another great bang for the buck tube pre that I am currently running is the YS Audio Symphonies +R SE. It has very high build quality, a remote, and sounds awesome.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,957
    edited January 2013
    That Luminous looks interesting, especially for the price. I still don't get the thing about how they run the ground, seems like some could run the possability of doing damage to other gear. If these pre's are supposedly tuned to your system, how then do you rotate gear in and out ? Does that mean every time you want to try a new piece of gear you have to send this pre back to get re-tuned ?

    BTW- comparing the W4S to the Dared.....a bit of a price difference there dontcha think ?
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited January 2013
    I RATHER LIKE MY MONARCHY M-10 preamp. A thousand doller pre I got for 300
    SDA-2BTL with custom IC
    Adcom 565 monoblocks--Monarchy Audio M-10 preamp
    Theta Data Basic Transport--Stello DA100 Signature DAC--Camelot Dragon Pro2 MK III
    Harman Kardon T-55c TT
    DH Labs Q-10 Signature Speaker Cables With Furez silver plated copper bananas
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference AES/EBU
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s digital cable
    4 Furutech FP-314Ag with FI-11cu Plugs/FI-11AG IECs--- Power Cords
    DH LABS REVELATIONS ICs-amps
    Revelation Audio Labs Paradise cryo-silver ICs-Source to pre
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  • NJPOLKER
    NJPOLKER Posts: 3,474
    edited January 2013
    I can't say it's the best since I have not heard every other pre-amp available but it sounds damn good.

    Anthem PRE2L paid about $600.00 for it used then
    about $400.00 in tubes
    $50.00 in upgraded caps
    a little dynamat
    maybe $50.00 in tube dampers
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  • 11tsteve
    11tsteve Posts: 1,166
    edited January 2013
    dee1949 wrote: »
    ...my favorites are : 2 channel

    B&K pro10mc
    Acurus RL11
    Carver C-1
    Kenwood Basic C-2 (cheapest )

    ...have a friend looking for a deal on a GOOD preamp.
    i have the RL11 and would really like to do something new but not sure where to go. i would like to try a tubed pre, budget is a consideration ($500) and it really seems the Dared is the only real consideration....
    Polk Lsi9
    N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
    NAD 1020 completely refurbished
    Keces DA-131 mk.II
    Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
    Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,957
    edited January 2013
    Yaqin too in that price range.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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