One thing to consider for HT is that the pre-amp have a bi-pass or an input that has goes straight through with no gain for your main channels. In solid state there are quite a lot of pre amps that do this, but in tubes it's a bit rarer. If I'm not mistaken I believe the CAT does have this feature (it's also a great pre-amp), I'm not sure about the others. Of course, if you find a pre-amp you love that doesn't have this you can always have a particular volume setting that accomplishes this--but I've had a system set up this way and it didn't bother me at first, but after a while it got old setting the volume all the time.
Can anyone help me to decide which pre-amp is better ?
I am slowly tried to build my audio with home threater system with the following equipments:
1- Aerial 10T and CC3 for speaker
2- Lexicon N512 and MC-1 for home threater
3- VPI HW19 for tuntable
4- All cardas cable for interconnect.
My next project will be expanded the system to tube pre-amp and possible amp. The first step will try to buy tube pre-amp connect to my LEXICON/BRYSTON NT-512. I am in the process of thinking to buy my next pre-amp as: Cary SLP98/PH301, Audio research LS16/PH3, CAT SL-1 sigature, BAT-5i, Havland, or Audio Illusion M3A? Did anyone have suggestions?
Many tahnks in advanced.
1- Aerial 10T and CC3 for speaker
2- Lexicon N512 and MC-1 for home threater
3- VPI HW19 for tuntable
4- All cardas cable for interconnect.
My next project will be expanded the system to tube pre-amp and possible amp. The first step will try to buy tube pre-amp connect to my LEXICON/BRYSTON NT-512. I am in the process of thinking to buy my next pre-amp as: Cary SLP98/PH301, Audio research LS16/PH3, CAT SL-1 sigature, BAT-5i, Havland, or Audio Illusion M3A? Did anyone have suggestions?
Many tahnks in advanced.