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Amp and Preamp Separates (Mix or Match??)

Does a matching preamplifier get the most out of a power amplifier?

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TunerLanding

TunerLanding

Active Member
I'm looking to hear about other enthusiasts' experience with hooking up amps and preamps from different series or different manufacturers etc, as opposed to the matching designated pair.

I've heard good things about putting a tube preamp with a powerful solid state amplifier for instance.
I also wonder if a preamp from a lower powered pair limists the capabilities of a higher powered amp.

Poll Question : Does a matching preamp get the most of out a stereo amplifier?
 
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Hoytis said:
I mix em up all the time with excellent results. In my mind, that's the whole point of going with separates...to have some fun and find interesting pairings that blow your mind.
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I've had a few matching preamps and power amps that didn't sound so great together. One pair in particular, swapping out the preamp with another brand sounded better. I agree the whole point of separates is to have some fun trying different components. I've always preferred separates. I have a couple receivers that were given to me, but not used. I've even given away a few receivers.
I found a very clean Pioneer SX-780 at Goodwill for $13 once. I used it to setup one of my son's with a system. I've just never really cared for receivers.
 
Lavane said:
I've had a few matching preamps and power amps that didn't sound so great together. One pair in particular, swapping out the preamp with another brand sounded better. I agree the whole point of separates is to have some fun trying different components. I've always preferred separates. I have a couple receivers that were given to me, but not used. I've even given away a few receivers.
I found a very clean Pioneer SX-780 at Goodwill for $13 once. I used it to setup one of my son's with a system. I've just never really cared for receivers.
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Agree. I had a Quad QC24 pre that didn't like any of amps. High-current, sounded crispy with everything I had so traded it in.

I do still like a nice vintage integrated or receiver. I throw my HK330c or Sansui AU-999 into a system now and then. They do really sound good...plus they look cool as hell :)
 
Hoytis said:
Agree. I had a Quad QC24 pre that didn't like any of amps. High-current, sounded crispy with everything I had so traded it in.

I do still like a nice vintage integrated or receiver. I throw my HK330c or Sansui AU-999 into a system now and then. They do really sound good...plus they look cool as hell :)
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One combo I really like is a Marantz model 1060 integrated amp used as a preamp for a model 140 power amp. It sounds really nice. I restored both a few years ago. So don't discount integrated amps with pre-out and main-in jacks.
If you find a lower powered integrated amp and like how it sounds, or even a reciever with ore-out jacks, but want or need more power, just add a power amp.
 

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Lavane said:
One combo I really like is a Marantz model 1060 integrated amp used as a preamp for a model 140 power amp. It sounds really nice. I restored both a few years ago. So don't discount integrated amps with pre-out and main-in jacks.
If you find a lower powered integrated amp and like how it sounds, or even a reciever with ore-out jacks, but want or need more power, just add a power amp.
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Exactly! I used the Sansui AU-999 as a pre to my Dynaco ST70 for quite some time. Wonderful pairing.
 
I have a couple Superphon preamps, a Revelation, and the line stage from a CD Maxx, which is basically the Revelation 2 linestage. Both have been paired with the amp section of a Marantz 1090, and a modified B&K ST-140 as well as with the Amp Camp Amp, the little Nelson Pass Class A amp. The Maxx is FET and softer sounding which goes well with the Pass amp.
The Rev 1 is BJT, and has a crisper sound which goes well with the B&K which is Mosfet. Being able to mix and match does expand your choices.
 
I've only owned matching gear in a couple of rack-mount systems, but that was many years ago. As far as separates go, I've never had gear that didn't play well together.
 
The only matched pair I ever bought was from AudioSource many years ago. It was for a second system and I never thought it was that great. The other mis-matched pairings actually ALL sounded better. My latest pairing is with a cheapie Schiit SYS passive preamp and an old NAD 2140 amp for the AV system. I like the passive preamp combo the most. I'm running a tube integrated amp in the main system now but if I return to separates, a passive preamp is the way I would go.
 
Mcintosh Power amps have always required professional line levels, + 8 db or higher to reach full power. Anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 volts. Back in the old days of tubes most amps were anywhere from .7 volts to 1.4 volts so I always used Mac Preamps with Mac Power amps. Today the rule still applies as the Mac amps Power Guard allows 14 db of over drive to preventing clipping. But if your preamp starts clipping at 7 or 8 volts like most do these days and in the past when driving a Mac Power amps the distortion of the pre-amp can reach your speakers. The tweeter is usually the first go if you have older speakers with out added built in protection. So be it Scott, Fisher, Citation, Marantz, Crown or Hafler I have always used Mcintosh Pre-amps. Returning to Mcintosh direct coupled 7200's and 7100 back in the late 80's or early 90's with Power Guard. I always used the 2.5 volt settings to get the best signal to noise. I love graphic tone controls, Loudness Controls, full mode selector, record and listen selectors and processor loops. So I'll stick with my C-34. It meets todays specs. So why be limited by the non flexibility of the new Pre-amps. The stereo amps are new, MC 830's. One HT MC 207 was purchased in 08 and the second added just after the new replacement was announced two years ago. So the amps ought to out last me easily. After all my MC 2505 is 53 years old and is still going strong driving remote speakers. I like the flexibility of my MX 151 so I don't see any changes there either. But I might when my Pioneer Plasma quits and I go either 8K or 4 K, but as I do not play video or computer games I don't see the need for 8K displays. Just another come on to get your money. I am not into modern tube stuff either. Been there and done that when I had no choice. I continually audition equipment and will almost always buy from brick and mortar stores or serious individuals.
 
Way too vague of a question. Matching your preamp and amp can be more "foolproof" but there is nothing wrong with mixing and matching different brands, etc.

I have a ton of Yamaha gear right now, but my very first piece was my big Yamaha M-2 amplifier. For a couple of years I used a little tube headphone amplifier that also had preamp outputs. It was quite the odd coupling, but it actually sounded really really good. I almost miss it in some ways.

That is one of the great things about separates; so many more options.

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I'm using a Luxman R-113 as a preamp for a Zenith single ended EL84 tube amp. I tried three other preamps but wasn't enthralled by any of them. On a whim I put in the Luxman and was pretty impressed. Nice phono section, big soundstage, and nice detail. It's been in that system for about five years now.
 
I had a stunning Mitsubishi DA-A10DC, that I found way too bright and brittle with every preamp I tried with it, until I tried the Preamp stage of a Sansui 2000X. That was like a match made in heaven. It taught me something. You can address a bright amp by matching it with a soft preamp. It didn't matter what speakers I matched with it until I added the Sansui, and then I matched it with Genesis Physics speakers. Very nice!

Right now I have a Bose 1801 power amp matched with a McIntosh C26 preamp. That system used to have a McIntosh MC2205 driving the speakers, but I move the Kef 107s into that system, and I wanted to have sufficient power so as to get the best out of them. Not sure about the combination yet. I'm thinking I might want the Klipsch Cornwalls back in that system driven by the MC2205. I might not get that though. WAF!
 
Unless there is a serious impedance mis-match (which is unlikely anyway) a pre-amp is a pre-amp and a power amp is a power amp. Only time you will get into trouble is when the output and correct input levels don't match.

"matched" pre-amp and amp are usually, as noted, just an integrated amp with the power amp in a separate box. In some cases the board in the amp is identical, even has the foil and component markings on it for the pre-amp and connections.
 
Matching? Oh, yeah! Mix-and-match! To me, putting together a good stereo is like breeding the best mutt. Do it right, and you get a new breed, get close, it can still be a really good dog......
 
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