2Channel only Pre $500.00 Range What Options? (1 Viewer)

[Brett DiMichele]

As the title states... I want a Pre for 2 channel music only
no need for multichannel and a built in RIAA Phono PreAmp
would be nice but I can always use a RatShack Little Rat if
need be...

A tuner would be nice but again not a big deal.. I may use
it with Delphi SkyFi (in the future) but the main concern
is a really good gain stage with basic tone controls which
won't be used hmm what else... Tubes would be nice but a
good SS wouldn't be ruled out...

I know $500.00 isn't alot for what I am asking, and I will
consider used pieces.. I was looking at some nice used Adcom
pieces on Ebay and some nice Carver Sonic Holography units.

I will need this for my seperate 2channel setup to control
a pair of tube monoblocks that have no gain control.

 

[Scott Oliver]

Well here are some good names that jumped out at me perusing through the Audiogon adds:

LFD Mistral Preamp

Conrad Johnson PV10 or 11

Counterpoint SA-1000

Wright Sound WLA12

Decware ZTPre

Sonic Frontiers SFL-1

Audio By Van Alstine Omega III

and of course you could get something from ASL, AES, or Bottlehead in this range

 

[Brett DiMichele]

I was thinking along the lines of Counterpoint or Sonic
Frontiers if I can find something.. If not then I would
probably look for Carver or ASL perhaps Conrad Johnson also.

How does this look?

Audio Experiance Symphonies (YS Audio, Hong Kong)





http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3013946205

 

[Brett DiMichele]

I'm adding the Parasound Halo P3 to the list also.. New it's
in the $750 range (which if I hold off I am sure I can swing)
and used, well I haven't found one used yet..


The Parasound has a lot of features for the money that no
one else seems to have and from all the reviews I have read
it seems to be a solid unit with a neutral sound charecteristic.

Since I will have tube amps downstream a tubed pre may be
overkill for my tastes.

 

[John Tompkins]

There are a couple of Bottlehead tube pre's over on audiogon allready assembled for around 350 or so. I highly recommend them IF you can do without a remote. That also leaves 150.00 or so for maybe a project phono box or nad makes a good phono for around 100.00 used.

 

[Ricky T]

For 500 used (retail ~ 1600), you can get the parasound PLD-2000, John Curl's best design. John Curl said it has a more discrete design and recommended it (and the pld-1500) over the Halo P23 on audioasylum.

http://www.parasound.com/service_inf...d/pld2000.html

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Ricky,

That's great and I appreciate the info but I like the Halo
better for other reasons.. More features that will benefit
me (especialy the Balanced XLR's)

I am thinking the Halo would best suit my needs.... Plus
it's just so damned pretty

AudioAdvisor has the other Parasound Pre for $250.00 new in
box which is a hell of a deal but I want the other features
the Halo has (remote, XLR's etc..)

 

[Ricky T]

Brett,

Why do you mention remote and xlr as an additional Halo feature? Are we talking about the same pld2000?

That's my point, according to Mr. Curl, the pld2000 is more true-balanced than the Halo, and it certainly has a remote. Check this link out:

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ran&1052296960

The classic Parasound gear has xlr for most of the preamps and dacs, as well as a couple of amp models. You can even add balanced digital out (AES, via the optional ADAD module) to the Parasound cd players.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Ricky,

Oops! I am thinking of a different model obviously!
I would have to check AudioAdvisor to see the model number
of the one I am thinking but the one you are posting is not
the one I am thinking of. Yep I just did a search.. I am
thinking of the newest non halo preamp my bad..

I dunno I will have to kick it around. I don't think that
the halo would be a "bad" pre, not disputing that the 2000
is a better pre either I like the asthetics of the Halo
unit (yeah I know, no one wants to hear that) and if I can
get a new one for a few hundred more than a used 2000 it
may be wise for me to go that route.

But at this point nothing is definate so I am still looking
around, even at used gear from other companies. I just am
not sure if I will need tubes in the Pre since I will be
driving the speakers off tubes I think a good SS Pre would
be a better route for me with my setup intentions.

Maybe I will take a ride up to my local stereo shop this
weekend and see what they have... I hear they carry anthem
stuff so I am sure they cary other good brands and they may
even have some nice pre owned pieces.

I would like to see the Halo in person though, I really
do like the construction and asthetics.

 

[Eric C D]

I don't know much to help opinion-wise here, but here's one more to consider. Odyssey is putting out (end of May) something they are calling the Etesian - a passive pre-amp with an AV bypass (and I think just two other inputs). I think the planned price is $275 and another $150 for remote control. That fits the price you were discussing.

Eric

 

[Marc H]

Try and check out the Cambridge Audio C500 if you can. It's about as neutral as one can get in a new one in that price range. They sell a pop in phono board for it too.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

I tried the C500 with optional phono board and it was very good for the price. I didn't keep it because it didn't have unity gain and I did not like how it integrated with the Home theater. Eventually got the Sony TA-P9000es. I would have been happy with the C500 in a seperate music system.

 

[Brian Fitterman]

I know my local Tweeter was blowing out some of their Proceed 2 channel stuff for dirt cheap. I think they offered me the pre and external D/A for $500 a few months back. If you have a local tweeter check them, they can look at all the stores to see what is left over. If they find one, call that store and talk with the manager, they really want to get rid of it out of their inventory. That is of course if Proceed is what you want.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

As far as integrating this with my HT for the time being
it will share the same rack space but I am going to wire
them as 2 seperate systems I will have no use to have the
2Ch stuff and the HT integrated.

I looked at the C500 nice unit and it's on the list also.
I will check out the Odyssey also.

It's no major rush this will be a birthday present to myself
and my birthday isn't for another 2 months

I have upped my spending cap to about $800.00 (to include
the Halo which I should be able to find new for $700.00 or
so)

The more I think about it though I do want Ballanced XLR's
at least on the output side of the Pre that way I can use
my Behringer Tube Ultra-Q in a Ballanced configuration and
this will also negate the need for a tube pre since the
Tube-Q is a linestage tube circuit.