The biggest and baddest Pre Amplifiers of all time?

[gizzyman47]

I own the sansui ca3000 and ba3000. Both very impressive Looking, but while I do enjoy the amp enough, the pre-amp sounds very veiled to me after hearing my modest Audio Research LS7 pre. Its an older entry level pre from A/R but sounds wonderful. Its very basic which accounts for the sonics. Complexity in audio gear can choke the life out of the music. Not all the time but a lot of the time.

 

[lokerola]

How about the Crown DL-2?

That thing’s a beast. Sort of has a 1970’s sci-fi vibe. Like it’s off the set of the original Star Tek.

 

[Ds2000]

View attachment 1174844 View attachment 1174845 View attachment 1174846 View attachment 1174847 The Denon PRA-S1, the Sansui C-2302, the eXclusive C7a and the Sony TA-ER1 are all ultras for all time. Every one is over 55 pounds and all are hand assembled.

@OnTheBlitz check these others out.

 

[nj pheonix]

I had one of these a few years ago .
Maybe (probably) should have kept.
Probably the opposite of many pieces posted. Wasn't huge , didn't have lights , a ton of switches or knobs. It was very straight forward with limited inputs.
What it did do was get out of the way and sound great. It also had a killer mm and mc phono section.
Not sure what they were thinking with that color scheme

 

[Mister Pig]

I bought a Plinius Tautoro a couple of months ago. Its decent.


Mister Pig

 

[Hawkeye83]

This is a multi-channel surround preamp that I keep coming across in the local Craigslist...don't need it, but it's a monster!

 

[Boonaroo]

I know this is home theater but I have always lusted after this Mark Levinson No. 40 Preamp

 

[Dazaa]

I know this is home theater but I have always lusted after this Mark Levinson No. 40 Preamp

I wonder if it has a direct/pure mode for 2 channel?

 

[E-Stat]

I wonder if it has a direct/pure mode for 2 channel?

Actually, it converts all analog signals to a 96/24 data stream.

Sound and Vision review

 

[OutlawSun]

I feel like the Scott 355 Tuner/Preamp should be in this just for some tube era representation.

 

[Old-School]

One of my all time favorites.
Audio Research SP-10

This. Yes.

Plus another vote for the JVC Victor.

 

[EngineerNate]

Actually, it converts all analog signals to a 96/24 data stream.

Sound and Vision review

And I bet most people wouldn't be able to hear the difference in a blind test.

 

[Frank Sol]

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

C1 gets my vote

 

[Frank Sol]

I really love the Yamaha C-80 & C-85 pre-amps ...

I've been using an Avionic Re-Capped C-85 for years

The Phono section is superb for MM -- flies under the radar

 

[E-Stat]

And I bet most people wouldn't be able to hear the difference in a blind test.

Since most folks cannot discern between lossy MP3 and even Redbook, I would agree completely.

 

[Hyfi]

I will throw my VAC into the mix. No bells or whistles, no tone controls, no nonsense, just all tube and full mono with 2 volume knobs from the early 90s and a 20+LBS outboard Power Supply.

 

[EngineerNate]

Since most folks cannot discern between lossy MP3 and even Redbook, I would agree completely.

I've done blind A/B tests between high bitrate MP3, low bitrate MP3, and lossless and I could pick out the low bitrate file easily, but while I had a high success rate in differentiating the other two, it took repeated listening to the same section to listen for differences in the transient details... in a more casual listening session I'd have been perfectly happy with the high bitrate lossy file and likely not know the difference. Maybe on better equipment the differences would stand out more. I guess that makes me a terrible audiophile.

 

[damacman]

This is a multi-channel surround preamp that I keep coming across in the local Craigslist...don't need it, but it's a monster!

View attachment 1294372

I worked for Rockford when that was a current product ... The BOM on it was ridiculous.

 

[Hawkeye83]

I worked for Rockford when that was a current product ... The BOM on it was ridiculous.

I believe it. Pic I posted does not do it justice. I haven't seen it in person but seen some other pics. Thing is an absolute TANK!

 

[GD70]

I feel like the Scott 355 Tuner/Preamp should be in this just for some tube era representation.

View attachment 1295103

That's a gorgeous example!