A preamp recommendation


Hello everyone,  I'm looking for a "neutral" preamp that does not emphasize and de-emphasize any frequency range but has just a tiny bit of warmth.  Accurate harmonic information resulting in natural instrumental timbre, outstanding sound staging and imaging, solid extended bass without typical under controlled bass of typical tubes or over damped bass of transistors, crystalline smooth extended high frequency, excellent micro and macro dynamics, and clear transparent sound are all important to me.  I don't like hyper detailed sound typical of some transistor preamps or overly smooth warm sound of some tube preamps.  Currently, my favorite preamp is an autoformer passive preamp which gives many of the sound quality I like, but it lacks the drive and impact I get from active preamps. I have auditioned some top preamps from Audio Research, D'Agustino, Pass, among others, but was underwhelmed due to lack of transparency, inaccurate timbre, and/or significant deviation from overall neutrality.  I don't care if the preamp is solid state or tube, long as my requirements are met.  All of my amps have input impedance of 50KOhms or above. Which preamp would best fit my taste?  Any preamp new or used $15k or under would be on my list. Thank you.

dracule1

 

@soix

“ …I think the Bryston BP26 might tick all your boxes…”

+1 on this recommendation 

Thanks Soux. What do you think of the Atmasphere MP1 bass? I’ve heard it’s a fantastic sounding preamp. But some have said it’s biggest weakness is somewhat anemic bass compared to other top flight preamps. Also does it have a reputation for reliability? Unfortunately I’ve owned MA-60, and it was the most unreliable amp I’ve ever owned. 

How does the Backert Rhythm compare with MP1?

I’ll look into Bryston BP26, but I’ve found past Bryston components on the sterile side, but it’s been decades.

Thanks yyzsantabarbara. I’ve heard Benchmark before. It’s way too sterile for me. Most preamps using op amps sound that way to me.  However, the Coda 07x is a preamp I’m considering. I owned a Threshold FET9 preamp back in the 80’s and liked it. What type of colorations does the Coda have?

Hilde45, wow I didn’t know Quicksilver was still in business. Loved their old V4 mono blocks decades ago. Thanks