Amp vesus Pre-amp

jaxwired
jaxwired Posts: 201
edited February 2010 in 2 Channel Audio
Which do you think is more critical in acheiving great sound quality, the amplifier or the preamp?
2 Channel
NAD C545 -> Benchmark DAC1 -> Bryston BP6 -> Bryston 4B SST2 -> Dynaudio Contour S1.4
Post edited by jaxwired on
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    Both are equally important. Choose both wisely.
    "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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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited February 2010
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Both are equally important. Choose both wisely.

    +1. Are you going solid state or tube?
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited February 2010
    This is a helpful article on choosing preamp and amp.

    http://www.soundstage.com/noisy04.htm
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • Jetmaker737
    Jetmaker737 Posts: 1,047
    edited February 2010
    dpowell wrote: »
    This is a helpful article on choosing preamp and amp.

    http://www.soundstage.com/noisy04.htm

    Nice little article!... bottom line: Tube pre and SS amp carefully chosen. (though I think in today's world of few B&M shops maybe more trial and error?)
    SystemLuxman L-590AXII Integrated Amplifier|KEF Reference 1 Loudspeakers|PS Audio Directream Jr|Sansui TU-9900 Tuner|TEAC A-6100 RtR|Nakamichi RX-202 Cassette
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  • dougy
    dougy Posts: 182
    edited February 2010
    Both are important, but the power amp is more important, IMO.
    THE MAN-CAVE 5.1 CHANNEL A/V RIG
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    MAN-CAVE 2-CHANNEL RIG (shares sources with a/v system)
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited February 2010
    A pre sets the sound more than the amp. If you amplify crap you get more crap.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • Krazyz1
    Krazyz1 Posts: 256
    edited February 2010
    The leg bone is connected to the knee bone. Both are important decisions because of noise factor as things get linked together end up at the amplifier which gets .....well amplified. ^+1-what he said.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited February 2010
    I think the preamp is more vital to the overall sound of a rig. Yes, both are important considerations but if your preamp is not up to snuff the greatest sounding amp in world is going to sound like crap. Crap in, crap out!

    E.g., I used a Spectral DMC 10G preamp in conjuction with modified Adcom 565 mono blocks and it sounded pretty damn good. I've since moved on to an integrated hybrid amp with the preamp being the tubed stage.

    I still use the Spectral as a phono pre which even though it is 25 years old still beats a lot of phono pre's manufactured today but then again, the Spectral was made when vinyl was king and all of the R & D, design and components were geared towards making vinyl sound the best it can.
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited February 2010
    ben62670 wrote: »
    A pre sets the sound more than the amp. If you amplify crap you get more crap.

    +1 sir.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

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    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited February 2010
    SYSTEM SYNERGY, Baby~
    TNRabbit
    NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,033
    edited February 2010
    Jax, since the first day of me getting into audio, I have asked myself the same question. That was a few decades ago. My experience has taught me that both are an equally important part of the system. Synergy is key.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • janmike
    janmike Posts: 6,146
    edited February 2010
    TNRabbit wrote: »
    SYSTEM SYNERGY, Baby~

    +1 on that one.
    Michael ;)
    In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
    NORTH of 60°
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  • Hillbilly61
    Hillbilly61 Posts: 702
    edited February 2010
    Whilst growing into the tube world (wrestling with additional things to buy/place, like an additional set of speakers, etc), everything I hear & read is pre-tube into SS amp, verses the latter arraignment is the best way to go. Good in = Good out!

    I can only afford one or the other tube wise, not both at the moment. 'have a boss vintage Yamaha SS amp sitting in the closet, so that is an indication of where I am going....
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited February 2010
    I agree with most people on this thread. Get a good tubed pre-amp.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • doctor r
    doctor r Posts: 837
    edited February 2010
    I have had my amp(s) for about three years now. Started with a variable output CDP directly into the amps, then added a passive pre for mor flexability (phono pre and switching). This change was smooth but not to different. I lastly added a nice tubed active pre. The system bloomed. What was there was now more there and the soundstage was larger and more in focus. I truly believe that my pre is crucial to the sound I am enjoying.

    Rick
    integrated w/DAC module Gryphon Diablo 300
    server Wolf Alpha 3SX
    phono pre Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono II
    turntable/tonearms Origin Live Sovereign Mk3 dual arm, Origin Live Enterprise Mk4, Origin Live Illustrious Mk3c
    cartridges Miyajima Madake, Ortofon Windfeld Ti, Ortofon
    speakers Rockport Mira II
    cables Synergistic Research Cables, Gryphon VPI XLR, Sablon 2020 USB
    rack Adona Eris 6dw
    ultrasonic cleaner Degritter
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