Newbie saying hello...Pre-amp question.

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Pure_Carbon

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Hi.
I'm a lurker who's decided to join, i'm also a regular "viewer" on Vinyl Engine.
My kit is eclectic and probably ill matched, due mostly to divorce and theft :-(

Avid Diva Turntable, Origin Live Encounter II arm, Ortofon Kontrapunkt C M/C.
Whest Audio PS.20 Phono stage & Power supply.
Musical Fidelity A3.5 CD
Alchemist Audio Forseti APD21A Mk II Pre and Alchemist Audio Forseti Tim de Paravicini Signature Power amp.
2 x PrimaLuna ProLogue Six Monoblock valve power amps.
ATC SCM 40 speakers.
Grado RS1 H/phones & RA1 9v battery H/phone amp.
Van den Hul & Origin Live interconnects, Chord Odyssey 2 speaker cable.
2 x Townshend Audio Seismic sinks.

My question is, having recently suffered a leg injury, i was pondering a pre amp with a remote volume control, transistor not tube.
Are there any decent ones out there or do we frown on remotes :confused:
 
try the bel canto pre3, as with the preamp that preceeded it its one of the most "invisible" preamps ive ever not heard, if that makes sense.

In a system that had a dac with volume control, it was impossible to tell the difference between the direct DAC connection and placing the preamp into the circuit. I dont think there can be a much higher recommendation than that. It simply passes the signal on with a bit of a boost in gain.

remote control comes as standard with gorgeous fit and finish and a good variety of inputs both balanced and single ended.
 
It's strange,

different systems work best with different pre amps. I demo'd a Music First pre and a Bel Canto pre2 with the big active ATC stystem and the Bel Canto won easily.

A few months later i demo'd the same two pre amp with a small active ATC system and the Music First pre was a lot better. I would not have thought that would be the case from my last experience.

So what i'm trying to say is that there are a lot of pre amps around and its a matter of trial and error. Make a short list (which this thread may give you) and get a friendly dealer to demo them for you.

I hope this is of Help?
 
Sorry to hear about your leg - Hi Fi Addict is right - Its got to be trial and error. It impossible to say what will work best in your system, in your room, for you, with the music you listen to. What I can do is tell you my experience. I no longer dem items in shops
and choose equipment by reading info on forums and hunting out secondhand - If I dont like it I sell it on. Though this may take longer to do I think this is a cheap and effective method of upgrading.

Having a remote control isnt a factor quality wise except for the fact that it limits preamp choice


This is my experiece - In my system a Opera consonance passive TVC and a Audio Synthesis Veshay passive was a far better match than a Audio Research SP11 valve pre - I ended up Plumbing for a £175 Prometheus TVC passive Pre. It was cheap and certainly very close in quality and compatablity to the Opera unit. I never even bothered seriously looking into an active transistor preamp because after hearing lots and lots of them in the past Im not a great fan. There may be some good transistor pres out there but I havent found a cheap one that is transparent enough.

If a remote control is a must then on your shortlist should be a.
BEL Canto Pre 3. However TVC preamps have quite a big following nowadays I think for very good reason. If your power amp has a suitable input sensitivity I think you should at least try one.



Andy
 

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