Modwright hybrid.
One tube to roll and replace. The phono stage inside is fantastic. Though I have no clue as to how they would work with your speakers. Also what is your preference in music?
New Preamp or go Integrated
My Vincent SA-32 preamp is starting to hum or make a sizzle sound periodically in the background. The unit is 6 yrs old and the tubes are soldered (factory) and not easily replaced. Since upgrading my speakers to the Dynaudio Countour 20i from Evoke 20, the noise has become more noticeable. I believe it’s due to the revealing nature of the Contours.
My plan is to upgrade with a $5000 budget, to either a new preamp or potentially consider an integrated setup.
Considerations for a preamp would be Mark Levinson No. 26 or PS Audio Stellar Gold for SS. For tube is was considering McIntosh C8, CJ ET7, or Rogue Audio RP-9.
Considerations for integrated would be Hegel H390 or McIntosh MA252.
Current equipment is the Parasound A23+,Lumin D3, Elac PPA phono pre, VPI Prime and the Contour 20i.
If I go the integrated route, I could potentially move up the price point from selling the separate units.
I always appreciate your thoughts based on past experiences, along with other options in the preamplifier/integrated brands.
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I would definitely consider the Rogue RP-7 ($5K new) or the RP-9. I have the RP-7 with Odyssey Kismet monobloc solid state amps driving Fyne F-702 speakers and consider them to be exceptionally musical. Great tonal qualities, easy distinction among various instruments, and superb three-dimensional sound stage that extends beyond the speakers in all dimensions with the right recordings. I am contemplating upgrading to the RP-9 but wonder if the improvement will be sufficient to justify the expense. I strongly recommend giving the Rogues a listen if at all possible. |
I have a PS Audio Stellar Gold preamp. In fact, I was one of the beta testers on the unit. Prior to getting the preamp, I was using my Directstream DAC Mk1 as the DAC/Preamp. Moving up to the separate preamp resulted in a huge improvement in SQ. I think separates gives one more flexibility in upgrading the system and in tailoring the sound to fit the user's preferences. It is a little more hassle, as there are more components to put in the rack, and more interconnects to deal with, but IMO well worth the inconvenience. |
You already have a very nice, powerful, quality, power amplifier to go with your speakers and I'd just stick with it. 5K or less should get you a very nice (pre-owned) replacement preamp. The easy route, and the best route, in this case, would be to just replace the preamp. If space has become an issue (as it did with me) and you find yourself wanting to downsize and simplify your audio system, then I'd go with an integrated amp (as I did). I have power hungry Revel Salon 2 speakers, so I went with the incredible Hegel H590 integrated amp (using an external DAC), and I've never been happier. Happy listening. |
@vette5451, to follow up on what @soix just posted, if you do start thinking about CODA, and want to go integrated — I just did (CSiB V2) b/c i had space and weight constraints — you might want to reach out to Ravi https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisbge7c-holiday-special-coda-sensibly-priced-reference-performance-amplifiers-solid-state. He’s an authorized dealer/manufacturer partner and often has good pricing available on new units. Probably not $5K or less, but a lot less the MSRP.
(I had the Parasound Halo P5 and A21 (not the + like you have) for many years, and I do think the CODA is more accurate while being no less musical. The v2 is 250 wpc at 8 ohms and doubles at 4; Class A for 12 watts at 8 ohms; a very nice sounding, very powerfull unit.) There is a lot of good commentary about CODA on here and elsewhere on the interwebz. Happy hunting and good luck to you. |
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