2. amps-preamps
  3. 172464-113867

Preamp recommendations for my system please

I think it’s now time in my audio journey to find a quality preamp. A pair of JC1 monoblocks are driving Wilson Yvette. dCS Bartök is ordered and will be my digital side (with a Roon Nucleus). Luxman PD171-A with Jelco 850 tonearm and Hana ML cart, with a Channel D Lino C 2.2 phono stage, on the analog side. 

 

I’d like the preamp to be truly balanced. Needs two pair of balanced/XLR inputs (phono stage and steamer/DAC). Under $10K if at all possible. My short list includes:

 

Audio Research LS28

Audio Research Ref 6SE (used only and still probably a stretch)

Ayre Acoustics KX-5 Twenty

Backert Labs Rhythm 1.3 

Parasound JC2

 

You’re going to ask me what I’m looking for in a preamp. Beyond what I’ve mentioned, I honestly don’t know. I’m open to all suggestions. I appreciate the help of this forum. Thank you. 

kcpellethead

Showing 3 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,342 posts
 

Well, as an owner of an ARC REF 6SE, no question that would be my recommendation. It's the cost is a bit too high just buy a Ref 6... or Ref 5SE. I owned a REF 5SE for many years... the 6SE sounds better... but I would prefer that to anything else. This is what Audio Research is known for... You have some great components... the preamp is at the center of it all... it is critical to get this right. The ARC is highly detailed, natural sounding with exceptional midrange bloom and detailed bass. 

ghdprentice
6,342 posts
 

@yyzsantabarbara

 

+1

 

Occasionally in the corporate world some employee that skirted on the edge of getting fired would finally reach his melting point, write an email copied to all employees condemning the incompetence of everyone around and above him and quit. It would bring a smile to my face because the content of the memo would so completely discredit him in every ones eyes that none of us on the executive staff would bother to comment to each other, only a sigh of relief and move on to something with substance. I don't think anyone in the company would read more than a sentence.

ghdprentice
6,342 posts
 

Congratulations. Would be great to hear your impressions when you get it as as things break in.

The preamp will take a couple hundred hours to go through its largest part of breakin (~100 - 120 hours SQ can waver substantially)… after that it slowly gets better and better. While ARC said 600 hour for breakin, I actually found it continues beyond that… to about 1,000. I would hurry the first 120 hours… then just use it to achieve the rest of the breakin.

I would recommend waiting on interconnects and cables until all is broken in and you really know the sound. But I think what I say below likely to be a very safe route if you want to get it together more quickly.

When my system got to a very high level of performance like yours, the components have no flaws or nuances you do not want to hear and the best interconnects and cables become those that are as neutral and passed through as much of the signal as possible. To me these are Transparent. ARC and Transparent are a known synegistic combination. I also found their power cords to have a similar impact (don’t ask me why power cords would sound similar to interconnect… I sure have no clue). The only exception for me was the amp power cord. I liked Cardas Clear Beyond for that.

 

 

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