The ML 585 was another piece I demo with the Magico A3 and it thought it was about 85% of the ML separate preamp + 2 ML mono blocks (= $60K). The 585 can be had now used for under $7K.
Best DAC - Preamp Combo $5 to $10K Budget
I'm waiting for the day my Levinson 380S bites the dust like my Chord DAC 64 just did. Both of them are/were 15 to 20 years old with heavy use. Anyway, is there a really reference level DAC - Preamp combination out there for from $5K to $10K? Thanks in advance!
Showing 2 responses by yyzsantabarbara
Try the Benchmark LA4 preamp with whatever flavor of amp you want. https://benchmarkmedia.com/collections/preamplifiers There is a 30 free home trial. The reviews have been stellar and essentially saying the unit imparts no sound into the equipment mix. So if you like a certain sound get that from the amp, wires, etc... I did demo the Benchmark DAC3 HGC, which is a DAC with analog preamp, with the most recent $20K ML monoblocks + Magico A3 speakers. It was not as good as the ML $20K preamp. However, the new LA4 is a bigger step up from the DAC3 HGC and maybe a great solution for a preamp since it is dead silent. I will be doing a home demo of this LA4 preamp soon and testing it with a Luxman m900u amp (next purchase). I will also be buying the Luxman c900u preamp at some point. So I will really be able to tell if the LA4 is really a competitor to $20K preamps as some reviewers are stating. I am also looking at the Benchmark AHB2 amp to have 4 pieces in the house. I have owned the AHB2 amp in the past and sold it to invest that money. The LA4 + AHB2 are $5500 combined and I have a feeling will be a long term keeper for me. |