Tube Preamp

sda2mike

I'm thinking about upgrading to a tube pre amp. Currently, I have a Marantz 2270 and SDA 2s. It sounds real good. However, I've been visiting the site for a while and it seems like everyone who has the tube pre amps raves about them.

What should I look for in the $500 range?

Will I have good performance using the pre in jacks on my rcvr?

Most of the pre amps I see have just one volume knob. How do you handle tone adjustments and input switching, as well as tape monitoring?

Those familiar with the 2270: should I just leave well enough alone? Or, will there be an SDA like difference?

Thanks!

organ

Welcome to the forum:).

In the $500 range you can get a Dodd. There is a thread about it here on the 2ch forum. Quite a few members own one and love it.

You'll eventually have to upgrade to a seperate amp to really hear a difference. The receiver is not going to cut it. You'll have to set the volume knob on your receiver to the 12 or 1 o clock position and use the volume control on the pre.

That's true. Most pre's only have an input selector and volume knob. This is the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) rule of audio which is about keeping the signal path as simple as possible. Tone adjustment is handled by tube rolling. I'm sure you're aware that different brands of tubes have different sound signatures.

I have no experience with your Marantz but from what I read on here about SDA's is that they NEED seperates. The more power the better.

Maurice

jcaut

The 2270 has preamp out / main amp in jacks, with jumpers, so it would work as a stand alone amp. By using those main-in's, you'd bypass it's internal preamp section entirely, so volume, balance, tone, input switching-- would all be bypassed. I'm thinking there might be a scenario where you could feed a tape-out into the input of the tube preamp, so that you could use the input selector on the Marantz, also the phono pre if you need it...control the volume on the tube pre....

That's getting awfully complicated though, just to pass the signal through tubes. I doubt there would be much to gain.

I haven't got my Dodd yet, so I can't really comment on the sound differences.

Welcome to the forum!

Jason

F1nut

After one graduates beyond a receiver, one realizes that one doesn't need no stinking tone controls.

BobMcG

Amen brother.

madmax

Originally posted by F1nut
After one graduates beyond a receiver, one realizes that one doesn't need no stinking tone controls.

Some still need a stinking remote though...

madmax

F1nut

You're just jealous.

markmarc

Look into Conrad Johnson on eBay. I recently saw a PV-10 for $450. I used to own a PV-7 and maded the biggest audio mistake in selling it. One caveat, many 200wpc amps do not matchup well with CJ's, especially Adcom, too much hiss.