Pre advice

stubby

So here's the deal. I decided to do a change for the sake of change. I sold my Adcom GTP 450 and bought a Rotel RSP 960AX pre/pro. It received some good comments at Audioreview so I figured WTH.
Bass response has gone south and what was a light hiss from the bridged M1.0 amps has turned into a very audible hum. It doesn't get louder with volume increase but is pretty distracting.
Maybe these components just don't get along? I don't think I can keep this thing in my rig. Any suggestions for a more compatible pre?
I have heard the M1.0's will generate some noise when bridged, and they did have a whisper of noise before, but.....
The Adcom did a pretty good job but I was just ready for a change. I was wanting something with surround potential but will consider anything with a remote for under $300.

Stubby

jrausch

Have you tried a line conditioner to see if the house voltage is causing the initial hum? If you’re looking for a nice cheap Pre-amp, you might want to check out the 2 Parasound PL/D-1100's on e-bay. This is a line drive Pre-amp with a nice S/N ratio of 102db and a crosstalk separation of 100db. They’re probably going for $200 w/remote. I'm currently using the 1100 with my Adcom 5802 and the sound is very clean and separated; the bass is tight, deep and controlled on my Lsi 15's. There is no bass or treble control in the line path, just a very clean signal from the source to the amp. Retail was originally $850 on these, I paid $218 for mine. I am completely satisfied with its price/performance. No switch popping or noise at all!! Nice solid piece.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1396283060

stubby

Believe it or not, I was looking at those. (Parasounds) I know they have a pretty good rep and I had a Parasound amp that sounded nice. Thanks for the first hand review.
I have an Adcom ACE 515 in use, so the line conditioner area is covered. I'm thinking about bypassing the pre and using the variable outs on my CD player direct to the amps, just to see what happens.

Stubby

stubby

Well, I bypassed the pre and ran the variable outs on my Yammie CD. Dead quiet, even at full output.
So now I must find a less noisy pre. I am now looking at either a Carver CT-7 or an Adcom GTP 500, orrrr a Parasound. Maybe even a Soundcraftsmen. I don't know. I'll figure out something.

Stubby

mantis

Sounds like your preamp has a bad ground or something.I got Rotel rc-971 preamp and it's dead quite.My bass response is real strong.Do you have a repair shop around?Any Rotel dealers?Id have it looked at before you go dropping more money on another pre amp....just sounds like there's something wrong with the one you bought.
Dan

madmax

If you want to spend $500 to $600 I would recommend a used Acurus Act III. They originally sold for $2000 and are worth every penny in my opinion!
madmax

har_navalta

Originally posted by madmax:
If you want to spend $500 to $600 I would recommend a used Acurus Act III. They originally sold for $2000 and are worth every penny in my opinion!

For $500 to 600 you can sometimes find at ebay for
Adcom GTP 750 or 760. They also originally sold for $2000...:D

Har

stubby

before I listed it on ebay, I pulled out one of my amps, set it to stereo operation, grabbed my LS/FX's out of the attic, and hooked the Rotel up to this mini system. MUCH quieter, just a faint hiss. So for whatever reason, the Rotel didn't match up with my bridged amps and SDA's.
Now I just have to wait for my Carver CT-17 to arrive. Maybe all Carver will sound better!

Stubby