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Which balanced stereo analog preamplifier?

T

tochnia

New Member
Good balanced stereo analog preamplifier?

I'm in search for good balanced stereo analog preamplifier.
/better that Sony E9000ES that I'm using now/

Ideal one will look be with following:

3 or 4x Balanced Inputs
Only Pot /Alps or other good one/ or attenuator in signal path (maybe volume control transformer)
Remote /I cannot go without it/

it will be good to have Direct Pass-through

I'm looking for best possible audio quality and prices below Accuphase.

My favourites until now are:

Sony P9000ES and mod it with adding transformers for balancing inputs
http://members.iinet.net.au/~rutlidge/TA-P9000ES_inside.jpg

++ it have good components, only Alps pot and balance pots in signal path.

-- But unfortunately it is not balanced, and very hard to find.

Khozmo Passive Preamplifier /with 48 step attenuator/
http://www.khozmo.com/stereo_selector/remote/1.jpg

++ Very good price, good components going to silver cables, balanced

-- Only 3 inputs and biggest minus is reliability. As it is not well established company, people have problems with delivery and clicking noises.

Reference line preeminence one passive preamp
http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=64207
++ Good sound quality
-- not very reliable also, and not all revisions with remote, quite ugly inside

Silverstone Magnetic Passive Preamplifier

++ Great design and build
-- Price and other big minus is internal cabling which doesn't look good for me:
http://www.stereoknight.com/photo/silverstone/silverstone-balance-inside wire.jpg


So any other proposals? :scratch2:
 
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So do you mean you want a passive unit?

Anyway your requirements are pretty strict. I don't know of any consumer audio preamp with 4 balanced inputs. Your best bet is probably some kind of professional unit.
 
Passive for me means that signal is modified only by pot, attenuator /with resistors/ or volume control transformer.

No additional amplifier circuits in preamplifier or signal passing via multiply resistors/capacitors.

I'm looking for excellent clarity of sound.

Professional preamplifiers unfortunately doesn't come with remote, and this is something which I really need.
Otherwise choice will be much easier.

I can live with 3 or maybe even 2 balanced inputs, but I don't want to go without any as I want to use DAC, Tuner and CD Player via XLR cables.
 
I don't understand, most people prefer point to point wiring over pcb boards. What is your reasoning for not wanting point to point?
 
To save on cost, I'd look for used. For example,

A used Rowland Synergy II or IIi preamp - well below Accuphase.

A used Audio Research LS25 or LS27 tube preamp - below but a little closer to Accuphase.

There are others but fully balanced differential designs will cost you more than a couple of hundreds.
 
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Passive preamp in theory impact less on the signal. But IME, sometimes in practice an active preamp sounds better.

If you can go with only 2 XLR, I'd recommend the Rowland Capri (older) or Capri S2 (new). I'm using an older Capri now.

Also, old Sonic Frontiers Line 1 tube preamp.
 
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