The biggest and baddest Pre Amplifiers of all time?

[bimasta]

Sorry I didn't mean any disrespect by that, out of curiosity what pre amp was it?

You mean the better one — I should say, the one I preferred? Can't really say, I was playing with several at that time. Audio Research SP6, two Luxman tube units, the Luxman 5C50 Lab Ref SS, DB Systems, Krell PAM 7, Klyne something, maybe a couple others. All were in a different league from the two I mentioned. An unfair comparison, honestly.

 

[Harvestor]

This has to be the winner of the beauty side of preamps.

Yes I agree.

 

[jazzmans]

This is a simply fantastic preamplifier, does what a preamp is supposed to with nothing else, and has the neatest collection of channel combination/subtraction I've seen in a preamp before.

Er, nevermind, it sucks, don't buy them and drive the price up.

Apt Holmann Preamp.

 

[E-Stat]

That Crown DL-2 could be chained to add more of the preamps in the control scheme as needed.

As needed for exactly what?

It used ten(!) 5534 op amps in the signal path. Not exactly the basis for sonic dreams.

 

[Ds2000]

Whoops, left one out.

TAD C-600.

 

[djnagle]

Nagle Steam Punk Junk preamp

 

[OMGCat!]

Yamaha had the C1 which definitely fits with all of it's options.

Pic stolen from the web

They followed it up with the much more subdued C-2 series (C-2a and C-2x shown on top)


I haven't heard a C-1 but they are supposed to be very good if not a bit temperamental.

 

[Lavane]

View attachment 1175744

Nagle Steam Punk Junk preamp

I remember that build thread! Just too cool.

 

[totem]

Regarding Sony's TAE-8450 pre and the often mentioned PPM type meters "uses"
the owners manual did have examples for utilizing their very distinct abilities and as I recall
were rather unique.

This Sony and the other large pre's of the era Sansui CA-3000, Rotel RC-5000 etc
were examples of more is better but soon became out of fashion for justifiable reasons.

If anyone is curious regarding the truly unique PPM meters for the TAE-8450
I did download the owners manual to AK and VE.

 

[Lavane]

Many of those old features just aren't as relevant today. One Marantz preamp I have has some cool features like dual outputs and a center channel out with a gain control. The center out is still relevant for an output to a powered sub. It even has its owe headphone amp seperate from the tone boards. But other features like the multiple turn over points on the hi and low filters I've never used. Even with tape or phono.

 

[mhardy6647]

 

[Hawkeye83]

There was a huge, home theater, tube "preamp" on my "local" Craigslist for quite awhile. Some esoteric brand...man, I'll never remember what it was now...just looked and the ad is gone. I had never seen such a beast in my life. Multi-channel tube preamp. Never knew such a thing existed. It was like a work of art, too. If I find it, I'll update...

 

[E-Stat]

There was a huge, home theater, tube "preamp" on my "local" Craigslist for quite awhile. I had never seen such a beast in my life. Multi-channel tube preamp. Never knew such a thing existed. It was like a work of art, too. If I find it, I'll update...

Harry Pearson used a Conrad-Johnson MET-1 in his "Super Maggie" multi-channel system.

 

[Lavane]

One of the two systems I have setup in a room with my bench has a Marantz model 33 preamp connected to the matching model 16 monoblocks.

 

[rottalpha]

Yamaha had the C1 which definitely fits with all of it's options.

Pic stolen from the webView attachment 1175821

.....
I haven't heard a C-1 but they are supposed to be very good if not a bit temperamental.

and whe you will you will not want another preamp ...well unless you are a hoarder

C-1 is the best pre-amp I've ever heard....when it properly works.

Because of the many pots and switches, getting one to its former glory is not a job for the faint of heath....but once restored, prepare for total musical bliss. The sound timbre is the epitome of the unmistakable Yamaha musical sound.

Mate it to a B-2 or a B-1 and you have a match made in heaven....

BTW, The C-1 is the only full fet/ V-fet preamp commercially made. This is a plus if you are a fan of v-fet sound, but it could also be its demise if some should go wrong.

Edit: I should have mentioned, the built quality of the C-1 is on a league ot it's own.

 

[rottalpha]

Regarding Sony's TAE-8450 pre and the often mentioned PPM type meters "uses"
the owners manual did have examples for utilizing their very distinct abilities and as I recall
were rather unique.

This Sony and the other large pre's of the era Sansui CA-3000, Rotel RC-5000 etc
were examples of more is better but soon became out of fashion for justifiable reasons.

If anyone is curious regarding the truly unique PPM meters for the TAE-8450
I did download the owners manual to AK and VE.

I think the TAE-8450 is a very nice preamp, I see it as Sony's answer to Yamaha C-1 in terms of complexity.
The Sony is also a nice modular build (yet, not on the same par with the C-1 in terms of built quality) and yes...the really nice meter...You gotta have nice big meters ....I love it

 

[Audioraven]

Technics C7000

 

[E-Stat]

I haven't heard a C-1 but they are supposed to be very good if not a bit temperamental.

One of my mentors who wrote for TAS reviewed the B-1 and had the C-1 in the 70s (Issue 7). I had the chance to hear them on his Dayton-Wright electrostats when I was still a teen. The B-1 was a keeper, but the C-1 was easily bested by the Mark Levinson JC-2 JWC used at that time.

 

[musichal]

Not the biggest but one of the baddest.Audio Research SP8.Tube preamp with a minimum of bs.I got one.View attachment 1175345

I always thought the SP-8 was one of the best-sounding preamps around. I'm not usually envious of other's gear here, but am a bit so of superdog's preamp. I'd have hunted one down if it had remote control. I even preferred it to the SP-10 and SP-11 - perhaps it had a euphonic coloration I find alluring, it is the piece of equipment I think of first when I read the term tube bloom. That's my take on it, right or wrong. Nice pre, dog.

 

[superdog]

I always thought the SP-8 was one of the best-sounding preamps around. I'm not usually envious of other's gear here, but am a bit so of superdog's preamp. I'd have hunted one down if it had remote control. I even preferred it to the SP-10 and SP-11 - perhaps it had a euphonic coloration I find alluring, it is the piece of equipment I think of first when I read the term tube bloom. That's my take on it, right or wrong. Nice pre, dog.

I was extremely fortunate to find this for $10.The phrase that came to mind when I first heard this warmed up was "smooth presentation".