2. amps-preamps
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What tube preamp to get to smooth out the sound?????

Hi have Wadia 850 cdp directly to pair of Odyssey Monoblocks, speakers are NHT 3.3's...Im very happy with the strengths of each component but recently sold a Adcom gfp 750 pre because all I listen to is CD, so I figure why not sell it and go direct..but the sound is not as good as when I had the preamp, direct sounds more hard/etchy , not as smooth as with the pre..I want to buy another pre but get something better than what I had before instead of SS was thinking of getting into tubes to get more warmth/smoothness I want to get rid of any harshness/etchines .... trying to keep it under 2k used, any suggestions from others who had this kind of problem I hear BAT is particulary good...
eantala
seldenr
59 posts
 
There have been several tube pre-amp recommendations recently in this forum, which added to these excellent additional recommendations, should be very useful to you. I think you will find that many will agree with me when I recommend you try a Rogue 99. I have compared this unit with several others and find it to be very musical, yet very detailed and dynamic. It is about as well rounded as you could want at its price point, and in my experience, difficult to beat without spending considerably more. The folks at Rogue are also very responsive and passionate. Check out the reviews. My listening tells me they are absolutely correct. Best of luck.
eantala OP
15 posts
 
thanks for all the post will look into all these models and look to buy within the next 2-3 months...
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,139 posts
 
Eantala, I have owned both the NHT 3.3 and the Wadia 850 and when properly set up neither is particularly harsh sounding. Before spending money on another preamp, you should carefully examine your current setup. Equipment stands, isolation devices, room treatments, cleaning contact points, etc. As a last resort you might try changing interconnects or cables. Inserting a preamp into your system regardless of its quality, is probably an over reaction.
suzy
30 posts
 
Onhwy61 is correct, you may not need a preamp. Another suggestion would be to try a line conditioner or something as simple as a power cord. One example (and I'm sure there are many others) is the TG Audio HSR-I pc, which does a great job of "smoothing out the sound" and retails for only $240. Would at least be worth a try before spending 2K on a preamp.
angela100
435 posts
 
Suzy, is this the Suzy that I met over at AA? If so, HEY! Welcome to our world across town! I found that it's hard to get people to think about power cords until they are really eyeball deep into this madness and have upgraded everything else. When we started the upgrade journey, we started with the amps, then the preamp, and mingled everything else around those (eventually swapping out the whole setup, including all IC and cables -speaker and power)- even the amp another round or two until we settled where we are at the moment (have been for 8 months now!)The biggest difference that we saw was with the preamp. That is just our experience. It really does vary based upon what you have. (and the Line 3, with the right tubes, is mellow in the mids, detailed in the highs, and "ballsy" in the bass)
AJ
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