BAT amp + cheap pream vs BAT integrated vs Prima Luna integrated
Hi all, this is my first post ever here in Audiogon. I am going to buy my first proper Hifi setup and am really going bonkers with all the possible configurations and combinations, and tbh so little data. I tend to like detail so in the beginning i discarded tubes. Separate amp and preamp is a wish, having read only but praises about this. I have read many great things about Prima Luna and am considering tubes now, to be specific, the Evo 300 hybrid, which is the closest any integrated amp will get to separate amp and preamp. But there is an option i have not read about too often: GREAT amp (BAT VK 90t) and since this will break my budget, a small and cheap preamp like a Schiit Freya or another preamp that does not impact the sound of the amp negatively too much (with the wishful thinking of buying a proper BAT preamp in the future, god and wife allows). AND, to add complexity, this configuration vs the BAT VK80t integrated amp.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
@tykozen "I stated that, watching the pictures of an EVO, and reading the specs, you can tell that the unit is almost literally an amp on top of a preamp. They are even separated by a metal casing." Sorry but this is what you wrote "I have read many great things about Prima Luna and am considering tubes now, to be specific, the Evo 300 hybrid, which is the closest any integrated amp will get to separate amp and preamp." hence my comment. I'll end with that . Good luck |
From AI: The BAT VK‑120 (a Stereophile Class A component) is decisively superior to the EVO 400 in any system that demands current, control, and scale. EVO 400 offer pleasant warmth, Softer bass, Compressed dynamics, shallower stage, a “nice” sound rather than a “commanding” one. The EVO 300 is even less competitive with it’s lower‑current, lower‑headroom. You can buy two VK-60s, convert them to mono upgrade the caps for even better performance and be under $4K (Which is less than the EVO 300). Add BAT preamp and you have a grand slam. . . .and, yes, pick a speaker first. My amps comfortably drive my Martin Logan CLS Is--with it’s wicked load that can drop to 1.6Ω at 20 kHz Regarding your preamp selection, why listen to Schitt if you don’t have to? Just my thought.
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@tykozen, as @oddiofyl stated, going cheap (an afterthought, it seems from what you have said) on your preamplifier is a bad idea. Between the preamplifier, the amplifier, and your speakers, the amplifier is the least critical when it comes to sound quality, so long as it’s not undersized for the load the speakers will demand. It is a good idea to start with the speakers based on the music you play and sound you like, figure out broadly what amplifier you need (particularly ability to provide enough current to properly drive the speakers at their lowest impedance dip) and then decide if you want to go with an integrated amplifier or separates. But don’t see the preamplifier as an afterthought. |
