2. amps-preamps
  3. 1113473991

why does preamp improve sound quality?

I recently listened to a Mark Levinson no.390s CD processor directly connected to a pair of Quad II-forty five tube amps. When a matching Quad preamp (much cheaper than the Levinson) was placed between the Levinson and the amplifier, the sound improved dramatically even at moderate volume- it became much more clear and transparent. Why would this be the case? Wouldn't adding an extra piece of equipment add more distortion?
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Showing 1 response by tonnesen

tonnesen
137 posts
 
I just read reviews of Robert Harley's "The Complete guide to High End Audio" on amazon.com, and there was some pretty serious criticism there about his lack of technical knowledge and techincal errors in the book... makes me wonder if it would be the best source to learn about impedance matching? Any other suggestions for a good primer? It would be great if audiogon had a FAQ. Another option would be to use wikipedia... here are a couple of links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_end_audio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound
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