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What Is Your Favorite Pre-Amp?

My favorite is my CJ PV-10A. I have only had it about 3 weeks, so I am still in the honeymoon phase, but I can honestly say I love her.:yes:

Oh yeah, and she had tubes.:thmbsp:
 
I haven't tried a huge raft of pre-amps in my systems (good ones aren't often affordable), but my favourite so far is my CJ PV 12. Clean, quiet, neutral but oh so sweet at the same time. The only thing better that I've tried was a one-off exotic tube unit a friend built. The parts that went into it cost over 3G and all it had was a volume pot, one input and one out (apart from the internals, of course). The sound was amazing, but not that much beyond what the PV12 gives me, at least with any sources or power amp I have.
 
Since I last posted on this thread,there are three changes which have occurred within my system specifically to the preamp.
Firstly I bought a second Kenwood 700C,which I had modified by EchoWars.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92741&highlight=Kenwood+700c

Next I bought an Onkyo P-303 preamp.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=92741&highlight=Kenwood+700c

Lately,I've been using a Lightspeed LDR passive preamp.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=145250&highlight=Kenwood+700c

So far the verdict is,that the Lightspeed stays.:smoke:
 
I guess I like Rotel seperates since that is all I ever owned for seperates. But I may be moving up to Macs down the road. I used to own a RC 980 with RB 970II, but now its a RC995 with RB1070.
 
Classé CP-50. All around best preamp I've owned to date.
cp-50_03.jpg

CP-50_02.jpg
 
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My best sounding preamp is the Yamaha CX-10000.

CXNudieview2.jpg



In order of preference after the CX-10000 are the Yamaha C-1, Kenwood 700C (EW), and Yamaha C-2x (EW).

YamahaC-1view003.jpg


Kenwood700C001.jpg
 
I've always maintained that should a component sound great,I don't care how it looks. :no:
I've also always maintained that Yamaha made some of the most attractively styled audio items I've ever seen. :yes:
Having said that,with the understanding that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder;The Yamaha C1's faceplate is too busy by half. :tears:
Given that Mark B has placed it ahead of the EW 700C for sonics,it must be an astonishing sounding preamp.It just needs a hide-away flap to cover half of those buttons.
I'd love to hear(own) a CX-10000. :yes: :drool:
I'm very close to selling the C2x I own.I've always liked the phono stage of the C2x(as heard via the tape-outs),I just didn't(don't)hear anything special from the line stage. :scratch2:
I'd love to own a Yamaha B-1. :D :thmbsp: :D
 
My freind has a Krell KRC-Hr that is sweet.
I own a modified Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 Signature that I am very happy with.
 
theophile said:
I've always maintained that should a component sound great,I don't care how it looks. :no:
I've also always maintained that Yamaha made some of the most attractively styled audio items I've ever seen. :yes:
Having said that,with the understanding that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder;The Yamaha C1's faceplate is too busy by half. :tears:
Given that Mark B has placed it ahead of the EW 700C for sonics,it must be an astonishing sounding preamp.It just needs a hide-away flap to cover half of those buttons.
I'd love to hear(own) a CX-10000. :yes: :drool:
I'm very close to selling the C2x I own.I've always liked the phono stage of the C2x(as heard via the tape-outs),I just didn't(don't)hear anything special from the line stage. :scratch2:
I'd love to own a Yamaha B-1. :D :thmbsp: :D
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When I got the C-1 I was astonished - it's absolutely great sounding. Not what I expected given the number of knobs & switches this thing has. I've actually grown fond of that busy faceplate.
 
Marantz Esotec SC-6

Mark B said:
When I got the C-1 I was astonished - it's absolutely great sounding. Not what I expected given the number of knobs & switches this thing has. I've actually grown fond of that busy faceplate.
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Good god, that C-1 is gorgeous.

My favorite is the Marantz Esotec SC-6: It simply reminds me what music is time and time again. A guitar sounds like a guitar and Callas sounds divine.
 

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Here's another vote for Spec 1.

In the stable is an Accuphase C-200 that I'll try once recapping is done. I'm guessing it'll be close competition.
 
Pse

I'd take any PSE preamp over 99 percent of the gear out there.
Yes it's solid state and sounds incredible, and consisitent.
studio series or sl? I believe.
 
Threshold NS-10 is my favorite preamp. It has dual tape monitors and 2 turntable inputs. It is very quick with excellent rise time specs and is direct coupled with no feedback in it's amplification stages.
 
Yamaha C-2a

Seems like one of those fussy subjectivist audio magazines liked it back then.

Vintage review of Yamaha C-2a

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I recently read a review of the C-2a in an issue of The Absolute Sound (1980, volume 16).
While they picked a few nits about the preamp, it was generally a very favorable review. In fact, they said it was one of the half dozen best preamps available at that time, and was directly compared to Audio Research (SP-3a, SP-6, SP-6a) and the Levinson JC-2.
The review also mentioned the C-1 and C-2 with not favorable comments.
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I have had the Yamaha C-2a for about 2 months now. It is the best one I have had to date.:finger:
 
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