Which of These Budget SS Preamps?


Hi all,
I am trying to help my friend find a good solid-state budget preamp. His system consists of a Parasound HCA-3500 power amp, Sony SCD-XA9000ES CD/SACD player, Paradigm Reference Studio 100v.2 speakers, and Signal Cable speaker cables, interconnects, and power cords.
Above all, he wants outstanding top-end extension, transparency, outstanding detail, speed, focus, and great bass.
I do not know anything about budget preamps.
His current list consists of:
Adcom GFP-750
Marsh P2000B
Parasound Halo P-3
Parasound P/LD-2000
PS Audio
Rotel RC-1090
Which of the above would best fit the above criteria that I named?
To those who have compared some of these preamps to one another, what are the sonic differences between them?
Thank you all so much for your help!
Angela
audio_girl

Showing 1 response by jax2

I'll vote with Jond for your considering a 'budget' tube pre to go with your Parasound. My only experience with Parasound amps is in hearing their top-of-the-line Halo amps pushed by an SS pre (cannot recall which). To me this combination sounded extremely detailed, had a wide and relatively flat soundstage, plenty airy for an SS amp, yet ultimately the whole thing left me cold. I think it was so analytical and sterile that I longed for warmth and musicality from the rig...something to pull me in more than it did. I've had this experience with other all SS rigs which have impressed me on some levels as this one did. At least give a tube pre a try to see the differences it may make. I might suggest a used Audible Illusions modulus 3a on that front, but there are many others. The combination of a tube pre and an SS amp can often bring out the best of both worlds. I think the sucess of many hybrid integrated designs speak to that end.

Marco