12 Most Significant Preamps Of All Time

The Absolute Sound had an interesting article this month about the 12 most significant preamps of all time.
I don't want to plagiarize their article so if you want to see their results, please purchase their magazine and keep them in business.
I agreed with some of their results but not all. It would be interesting to hear what all of you feel about this topic
In my opinion, the 12 most significant preamps that affected me are the following:
....
12. AGI 511 solid state preamplifier 1978
Audio General's AGI 511 is a no frill preamp with input selection and volume control with modest cosmetics.
However under the hood, this baby can do 250V/uS slew rate topping the JC2 and everything before it in speed.
THD and IM distortion was under 0.005%.
If you can get past the no frill look of this preamp, you should audition one. It's quite a trip

Hello to Everyone,
i am sorry to resurrect this little old but extremely excellent thread to ask about the sound of this preamp in particular. And again sorry for i know that this is an old and neverended debate on how the sound quality correlates with measurements.
But this makes a lot of sense to me. For instance it could be that what is beautiful is not realistic, i.e. not true to the original signal.
To conclude i am extremely interested to know about cases, like the AGI 511, when great measurements correlate with really great sound.
Thanks a lot.
Regards, gino
 
Gino,
I owned an AGI 511B and found it to be excellent sounding. It really didn't have a sound of its own. Unfortunately one of the selector push buttons failed and the company was already out of business, so no replacement parts available.

I also owned an Adcom GFP 750 whose sound and specs were top notch. These are easier to find than an AGI 511B.
 
Although I've never owned one, I listened to a Crown IC-150. Despite (maybe because of) it's superb measurements it sounded truly awful to me with a high end that sounded like icepicks in my ears. IME loads of negative feedback results in very low noise and low distortion but not so good sound.
 
Gino, I owned an AGI 511B and found it to be excellent sounding. It really didn't have a sound of its own. Unfortunately one of the selector push buttons failed and the company was already out of business, so no replacement parts available. I also owned an Adcom GFP 750 whose sound and specs were top notch. These are easier to find than an AGI 511B.

Hello ! :) thanks a lot for the kind and very helpful answer. The AGI 511 is indeed a mythical component in the history of audio.
More in general it is very difficul for me to accept that a component with excellent instrumental performance sounds bad.
While I'm willing to accept that a component with so so measurements can sound nice.
Thanks again for the very useful answer.
gino
 
Although I've never owned one, I listened to a Crown IC-150. Despite (maybe because of) it's superb measurements it sounded truly awful to me with a high end that sounded like icepicks in my ears. IME loads of negative feedback results in very low noise and low distortion but not so good sound
Hi ! in general i do not like preamps with tone controls. In this case i understand that they are in the feedback loop ? i like this even less.
Maybe there was some kind of high Hz distortion ?
 
Lots of global negative feedback which reduces distortion is thought to be the main reason why the IC-150 and some other SS preamps from that era sound harsh and strident. OTOH the Audio Research Corporation SP-3 from the same era is sought after by many even though it has tone controls and variable loudness. I had one that replaced a modified Dynaco PAS-3. It was an order of magnitude better sounding than the Dynaco. My current ARC SP-9 (hybrid) which has no tone controls IMO sounds even better.
 
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I owned a IC-150 and it never impressed me, just seemed utilitarian like a get you by type deal without going all out cheap
 
I've owned BOTH the IC150 and a later IC150a. The original sucked. Had constant issues when using tone controls the right side was louder. The 150a was a little better but still lacked .....something. Perhaps detail or presence. My DB Systems preamp is just a straight wire with gain. Ultra reliable for years!
 
Lots of global negative feedback which reduces distortion is thought to be the main reason why the IC-150 and some other SS preamps from that era sound harsh and strident.
OTOH the Audio Research Corporation SP-3 (hybrid) from the same era is sought after by many even though it has tone controls and variable loudness.
I had one that replaced a modified Dynaco PAS-3. It was an order of magnitude better sounding than the Dynaco. My current ARC SP-9 which has no tone controls IMO sounds even better

Hi and thanks for the helpful advice. Maybe it is just to find the right instrumental test ?
Usually from what i have read low feedback designs have also low TIM distortion.
Maybe harshness and stridency in sound are the effects of higher TIM distortion ?
I would like to hear from an audio designer if he/she listens or measures his/her designs. That would be also interesting i think.
 
Finding a preamp with a line stage that sounds at least as good/ neutral as a simple passive bypass with a quality pot/ attenuator isn't easy, and, I suspect, "affordable".
 
Would this list be the same today? Has any thing appeared that would change the order of the TAS article? Looking forward to the discussions.
 
I'd put my Dual Mono Class A Perreaux SA3 in that list with no reservations in the least. The only other preamp I have owned that could compete with it was a Krell KRS1A but that freaking thing took up a stereo cab by itself which sucked as it drove a Levinson 333.5 which had to sit on it own table
 
The Absolute Sound had an interesting article this month about the 12 most significant preamps of all time. I don't want to plagiarize their article so if you want to see their results, please purchase their magazine and keep them in business. I agreed with some of their results but not all. It would be interesting to hear what all of you feel about this topic

In my opinion, the 12 most significant preamps that affected me are the following:


.

In my opinion you should edit the title of this thread to reflect that fact.......
 
Who here owns anything on the list? I've got one out of 12, and it's sure not the best one on the list! The P-L 4000.
 
As much as I agree with the Model 7 or 7C I found both of them to be to forward especially with horn loaded speakers of the time. The Controls were fantastic and very effective, but I much preferred the sound of a C-22. Though compared to the C-28 the C-22 wasn't my favorite cup of tea. I agree the MX-110 was special sounding, but it had mechanical problems. The IC 150/a with it TIM distortion was good for about 5 minutes of listening and then I got a headache. You could plug it into a Dyna MK III and almost make the sound listenable for a longer period, but not much. We sold 4 or 5 of them and had three of them returned. The amps were pretty good but the Crown Preamps from that period were just plain nasty. I agree the C-30 being the first with graphic tone controls should be on the list. The C-32 thru 34 for flexibility that very few pre-amps have matched. How about the C1100 with 107 db signal to noise from a tube pre-amp. ARC made some god pre-amps but then they had exorbitant prices, too. Accuphase isn't fairly represented either.
 
Would this list be the same today? Has any thing appeared that would change the order of the TAS article? Looking forward to the discussions.

Yes, see the original list from TAS below.

In my opinion you should edit the title of this thread to reflect that fact.......

Since this topic is getting traction again, maybe we need the real list posted. Here it is:
1. Audio Research corporation sp3 1972 $650
2. Marantz model 7 1958 $254
3. Dynaco PAS-3 1960 $60(kit) $80 (assembled)
4. MarkLlevinson LPN/JC-2 1973 $1100
5. Vendetta Research SCP-2 1988 $1895
6. Conrad Johnson ART/GAT 1996 $14,995/$20,000
7. Harmon Kardon Citation 1 $139 (kit) $239(wired)
8. Audible Illusions Modulus 3a 1996 $1895
9. Quad 33 1967 $120
10. Conrad-Johnson Premier 3 1983 $2850
11. Mark Levinson no.32 reference 1999 $14,950
12. Audio Research SP-10/sp11 1982/1984 $2995/$14995

This list was copied from another forum and may have been modified a bit (sp-10 and sp-11 instead of just one of them, for example) but I think it is the list. A good bit different from the OP's list.
 
Anybody with too much time on their hands ;) care to adjust these numbers for inflation? Might be interesting.
 
Yes, see the original list from TAS below.



Since this topic is getting traction again, maybe we need the real list posted. Here it is:
1. Audio Research corporation sp3 1972 $650
2. Marantz model 7 1958 $254
3. Dynaco PAS-3 1960 $60(kit) $80 (assembled)
4. MarkLlevinson LPN/JC-2 1973 $1100
5. Vendetta Research SCP-2 1988 $1895
6. Conrad Johnson ART/GAT 1996 $14,995/$20,000
7. Harmon Kardon Citation 1 $139 (kit) $239(wired)
8. Audible Illusions Modulus 3a 1996 $1895
9. Quad 33 1967 $120
10. Conrad-Johnson Premier 3 1983 $2850
11. Mark Levinson no.32 reference 1999 $14,950
12. Audio Research SP-10/sp11 1982/1984 $2995/$14995

This list was copied from another forum and may have been modified a bit (sp-10 and sp-11 instead of just one of them, for example) but I think it is the list. A good bit different from the OP's list.


Keith do you know how this list is supposed to read? That is, are the numbers indicative of which is top dog ? Or is it just a random list of the 12 best with no significance to the order they appear ?
 
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