Preamp for Classe CA400 and Confidence 5

I agree with Pops, get a tube pre with your Classe, I have Classe amps with an Audio Research preamp, no looking back for me. I haven't had the opportunity to hear CJ pre's, but I have owned a couple of different Audio Research pre's and I love 'em. The AR pre's are available here and on other used sites and are a bargain, certainly MUCH less than your $2500 budget. If you need a phono stage (I'm hoping you still indulge in analog) then look for an Audio Research in the SP series, otherwise the LS series will do the trick. Jeff

I own the Confidence 5's myself.Great speakers.I tried a few pre's.One that really stands above the rest in my humble opinion is the Krell KRC HR.I've seen them for around $2,500 and up used,without the phono stage.Tubes are great,but if you want the full package go with the Krell.Bottom end is without comparison.Open soundstage,liquid mids etc....If you have to with tubes in the system,I recommend a Audio Research LS 5 or a Melos 333 reference.Both can be found used really cheap.Good luck.

I agree with the tube pre-amp suggestions. I had used the Classe amp with a C-J ART...and it was just superb. I think any of the better C-J for the 14 on are worth a listen...as are several Audio Research models.

Tubes for sure. Even with a Sonic Frontiers Line 2, I found the midrange of the Classe CA400 to have a dry and wiry quality that needed some fleshing out harmonically. This will of course depend on the rest of your system and room. C-J strikes me as more appropriate that Audio Research in this context.

Redkiwi, how do you rate the Classe CA400 overall? Compared it against the Plinius SA250 by any chance? I am in Aust. and have a Classe DR9 running Apogees, and am not sure whether to go to a CA400 or get a 2nd DR9, or maybe a BAT VK500, or Plinius......etc!!