AudiogoN Forums: Won't preamps become obsolete?

Won't preamps become obsolete?

I'm in the market for a new preamp because I want to upgrade from my Conrad Johnson PV10A. I listen mostly to vinyl but some CD and hopefully SACD some day so I need a preamp to integrate sources. As I look at the used preamp ads on A'gon, however, I notice more and more people saying that they are selling their preamp because they are going directly from a cd player with volume control into an amp. As vinyl wanes (never with me!) will the preamp follow suit or become more oriented towards integrating home theatre digital video and audio sources?

Jyprez (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-23-04

Responses (1-32 of 32)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

01-23-04 My preamp is the most important component in my system. it ... Sugarbrie

01-23-04 I've never owned a preamp, and don't see one in my system an ... Tireguy

01-23-04 If you listen to vinyl you must have a preamp. try hooking ... Sugarbrie

01-23-04 I listen to vinyl on a linn lp12 and to digital on a teac vr ... Tobias

01-23-04 Audiophiles will always have a pre-amp since they will laway ... Nrchy

01-23-04 With a few rare exceptions, intrernal volume controls are la ... Tweak1

01-24-04 Even when comparing the sound of a stock sony sacd player i ... Albertporter

01-24-04 If we look a couple of decades back the preamp was only mean ... Marakanetz

01-24-04 There is the sce harmonic recovery system, an active black b ... Listener57

01-24-04 More than 20 years ago i scapped the preamp in favor of an o ... Eldartford

01-24-04 Years ago pre-amps included tone contols. in the future they ... Unsound

01-24-04 I agree with sugarbrie... another reason for removing the p ... Mikesinger

01-24-04 Forgive me, but, "vinyl wanes..." i think the int ... Vvrinc

01-24-04 Oh come on vvrinc, i mean, i'm a big vinyl fan and have list ... Jyprez

01-24-04 Lots of good responses but it all depends on the matching of ... Bigkidz

01-24-04 "though passive pre's add nothing to the signal-they so ... Eagle

01-24-04 Aside from the discussion whether active, or passive, or no ... Listener57

01-24-04 Most volume controls in amps and cdp are of low quality volu ... Blptwp

01-24-04 If we look onto many amps made today, they already have a ne ... Marakanetz

01-24-04 I don't think so. even when the technology gets to the point ... Pragmatist

01-24-04 I have gone this route and in the end a good preamp is the w ... Natnic

01-24-04 Why is it that each and everytime i bypass the preamplifier ... Dazzdax

01-24-04 Further to my comments regarding volume control and transfor ... Blptwp

01-24-04 I don't think so. the reason are several fold, of which two ... sasaudio@

01-24-04 Sounds like the preamp, or for that matter the amp or speake ... sasaudio@

01-25-04 Blptwp...what is a tvc? i am guessing that it is a multitap ... Eldartford

01-25-04 Eldartford, you are correct in assuming that a tvc is a mul ... Bombaywalla

01-25-04: Eldartford
Bombaywalla...Thanks for the very interesting info. I can understand the advantage of a transformer for a passive preamp, where impedance matching can be a problem. Also, the ability to provide a little gain is nice.

Except for the impedance issue a resistor ladder "if done correctly" should be as good or better. The info shows good frequency response, but nothing about distortion. No idea of price either.
Eldartford (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

01-25-04 Hi all: i just put together the the diyhifi tvc kit that use ... Clueless

03-04-04 The question posed has many legs: quality of gain control in ... Bearman3

03-04-04 Jyprez...for about 350.00,you can send the 10a back to cj. a ... Route9

03-04-04 The question posed has many legs: quality of gain control in ... Bearman3