ML 380S. No experience with the Ayre or JR so probably silly to throw my two cents in but remember the 380S. Great preamp with great resale... I bet in ten years it’ll still pull good money where the other two not so much. You already have two other ML pieces so why not? Very flexible preamp.
I need your suggestion for a Preamp.
I would like to get a preamp, and I have an opp to get an Ayre K5XE MP, Jeff Rowland Capri or a Mark Levinson 380S.
The power amp is a Levinson 431, driving a pair of B&W Matrix 801 S3. I am using a Levinson 390S CD processor to drive 431, the sound is not too bad, but I need a couple of more inputs as I intend to use a TT and add a blu ray player as well.
The Levinson 380s is much more money, out of the all three.
Looking forward to some experts advises and suggestions/recommendation.
Cheers
The power amp is a Levinson 431, driving a pair of B&W Matrix 801 S3. I am using a Levinson 390S CD processor to drive 431, the sound is not too bad, but I need a couple of more inputs as I intend to use a TT and add a blu ray player as well.
The Levinson 380s is much more money, out of the all three.
Looking forward to some experts advises and suggestions/recommendation.
Cheers
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- 32 posts total
audiomaster The power amp is a Levinson 431, driving a pair of B&W Matrix 801 S3. I am using a Levinson 390S CD processor to drive 431, the sound is not too bad, but I need a couple of more inputs as I intend to use a TT and add a blu ray player as well. Your ML431 only needs 1.8v in, for full 235w output!! and is 51k input great for a passive volume control. Your ML390s gives this easily and the balanced 4.7v, and your 801’s are 89db, why not just get a source switch box, and a high gain (60db) phono stage instead Here is a quality one, there are are many configurations at the bottom of the page with and without VC if you go with a volume get the 5k or 10k one to suit your 51k ML431. http://www.goldpt.com/info.html With the phono maybe go the SA4M dual mono as phono cartridges are never balanced. http://www.goldpt.com/sa4.html Cheers george |
You will be happy with the Ayre and their service and support is great. I own an K-5xe driving a Proceed HPA-2 amp (which was sold by Madrigal, which at the time owned Levinson, and is basically a Levinson design - 250w/ch at 8 ohms). The two match well. I went with the Ayre for the same reason - cost. Have no experience with the Rowland products. Good luck. |
- 32 posts total