Its important to get a GOOD pre-amp. One that is simple, has the features you want and is built well enough to be used for a couple of decades. I tried several, but found overall I liked the SOUND (or lack there of) of the DB Systems DB1a. Has a nice phono circuit, is very quiet. Passive TT roll-off. External Power supply. Simple design with quality parts. Its phono stage is more quiet with a cart than tested with shunts across the phono input. The designer was President of the Boston Audio Society for decades!
Does anyone make a good old 2 channel solid state pre-amp anymore ?
- Thread starter zebra03
- Start date
pskaudio
No user serviceable parts inside me...
$800 is not even enough to pay for a decent set of cables for a phono stage.
The TCC has gotten very good reviews and if I'm not mistaken, has a discrete phono stage.
savatage1973
Addicted Member
Yes--like any other product that I have looked at from Schitt, you can't have it tomorrow--you have to wait for "back order"--total BS. If you market a product, there needs to be a few on the shelves ready to ship. I have liked some of the Schitt products and almost bought one of their DAC's, but NOTHING is ever in inventory--EVERYTHING involves a wait--f**k that BS--if you want to sell it, then have one available for sale.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
As odd as it seems, flexibility, dependability and then performance are my prerequisites for a pre-amp in that order. . Size fits in there too. Without flexibility the best sounding pre-amp would be of no use to me. So. I am using a Mac C-34 with a MP 100 phono pre-amp for low output M Coil. . I would like a a C-40, but its two large. A C-52 would be nice, but it has no flexibility at all. So what you need to do is sit down and make a list of the 10 most important things you want your pre-amp to do. Then go shopping. I require my pre-amp to do many things, so having processing loops, record and listen selectors with a mode control and graphic tone controls are very important to me. Maybe not to you. A warning don't give up flexibility. Owners who give up tone controls are depending on others to make decisions for them, not a good idea.
restorer-john
Addicted Member
Apart from the name, the price and the construction, I guess not.
It has its main power transformer not secured to the PCB other than by the soldered legs- that's dangerous.
It has no gain and yet they call it a 'preamplifier'. It amplifies nothing- gain is 1.
It has no protection for curious little fingers around the fragile and likely hot tube.
The OP needs a phono stage and it has none.
There's a stack of way better vintage options than anything from the Schiit stable IMO.
Cost does not equate to value. I've used the DB since 1978.$800 is not even enough to pay for a decent set of cables for a phono stage.
The TCC has gotten very good reviews and if I'm not mistaken, has a discrete phono stage.
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
I suggest you read the original post. Excerpt above.
$900 is cheap to the denizens at the What's Best forum. That certainly doesn't apply on AK.
Including a phono stage the aged DB-1 runs $1000.
I remember hearing one back in '75 or '76. Nice unit at the time for the money, but I wouldn't spend a grand on one today. A newly produced Levinson JC-2, sure!
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
$495 in 1978 equals $1,965.05 in 2018. Anyway you look at it it's much, much more than the admittedly cheapskate OP is willing to spend.
Keep an eye out for a Carver C1 or C11, they can often be had for 200 or less. Very solid specs with both MM and MC phono inputs. There is a ton of info over at the Carver site for modding these units to bring them up to an even higher level. It's called the BillD mod, named after the fellow that came up with it.
I have a C11 with all the mods except the replacement resistors. Cranked all the way up into fairly sensitive speakers there is no noise at all even with my ear next to the speaker. Just inky black silence.
One fellow over there sold off his 800 dollar phono stage after doing the mods, the Carver was better.
BillWojo
I have a C11 with all the mods except the replacement resistors. Cranked all the way up into fairly sensitive speakers there is no noise at all even with my ear next to the speaker. Just inky black silence.
One fellow over there sold off his 800 dollar phono stage after doing the mods, the Carver was better.
BillWojo
I see them for about half of that a few times a year. I own 2.
savatage1973
Addicted Member
This I 100% agree with. If you want an inexpensive pre-amp that can "do everything" the C1/C11 will do it. I have both--not currently in use, but they will not go away anytime soon, and I did do the BillD mods to them. I think the total parts cost (including shipping) was under $40, and I have done so many of them, that I can get one done in about 2 hours. They are my "go-to" back-ups should my ARC, Krell or Aragon fail me.
WaynerN
Addicted Member
Now that I don't work for them anymore, I can promote Audio by Van Alstine amps. This one is 60 watts RMS per channel into 8 ohms https://avahifi.com/collections/solid-state-power-amplifiers/products/vision-set-120-power-amplifier, for $900.
Here is a nice one for a bit more ($2200), 225 watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms. https://avahifi.com/collections/solid-state-power-amplifiers/products/vision-set-400-amplifier
I have 2 AVA SS amps, the modded Dynaco Stereo 120, The 260HT (now over 20 years old. They are on every day and have never been touched inside. Built in Minnesota., built like a tank, electrically and mechanically.
Here is a nice one for a bit more ($2200), 225 watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms. https://avahifi.com/collections/solid-state-power-amplifiers/products/vision-set-400-amplifier
I have 2 AVA SS amps, the modded Dynaco Stereo 120, The 260HT (now over 20 years old. They are on every day and have never been touched inside. Built in Minnesota., built like a tank, electrically and mechanically.
That's cool, but the post (revisit the title) is about preamps with an unstated, but apparently large number of inputs.
My Sansui C-2101 has 9 inputs, including 3 tape loops and 1 selectable phono input.
Sounds great in all-original form, (haven't heard the phono input).
Not terribly expensive if you can find one. 200ish.
The Parasound pre I mentioned earlier doesn't have phono, you'd need a separate phono pre.
Sounds great in all-original form, (haven't heard the phono input).
Not terribly expensive if you can find one. 200ish.
The Parasound pre I mentioned earlier doesn't have phono, you'd need a separate phono pre.
