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In Reply to: SS preamp for alltubes power posted by Mywing on March 31, 2007 at 00:58:58:
If you want to stick w/ ARC, your best bet IMO (and yes I owned one ;--) would be the SP-14. It's all solid state except for the (one tube) phonostage. And what a phonostage! Many people buy this unit just for the phono, which has a high enough gain to run even a few of the regular (i.e. not HO) MC cartridges, like with 0.8 mV. They're available used for $1100 +/-
Follow Ups:
I compared in the past my SP10 with an SP14 and at my ears the 10 phonostage was much better than 14.
I don't leave the SP10 but place side by side it another preamp which well suites Cdps and wich needs a short heatig time.
I thought about Bryston, Classč... (Spectral I red it works badly with ARC...)...
Any other experiences or ideas?
Greets
The SP 10 was one of the best ARC preamps ever! And if I remember correctly cost quite a bit MORE than the SP-14. BUT, it has 15 tubes in it! And you were asking about solid state, right?Personally I prefer good-to-great SS equipment on the front end (I use Levinson 26s, 25s) Because it's my opinion that the advantages of tubes, i.e. preserving the signal's nuances, are best realized in the amp, since that's where the signal undergoes the most processing/amplification. A great SS preamp is dead quiet, doesn't affect the frequenciy extremes. And unlike a SS amp, a SS pre won't drop the nuances, because it's providing little or no gain.
The SP-14 is basically SS except for a twin-triode in the phonostage, so that's why I suggested it.
Thanks,
anyone have had experiences?...
A transformer based passive preamp is usually a good choice for tube amps if you don't need a plenty of gain. Most of them function in 0-6db range and if that's enough, you should try them.If properly matched, they sound very transparent and natural, with the right timbre. Detail & transparency is second to none.
However they can reveal any imperfection of your source.
Bent, Music First, Django, Promitheus (cheap but good) are some options to start....
Question: I don't know if you know, but:How does the SP9 compare to the SP14?
My brother in law, a budding Audiophile, with not too much money, wants to replace his Counterpoint 3.1 with a better preamp. (I will point out that he has a Thule (SS) amp, and not a tubed amp.) I was thinking about the SP9, as it is relatively cheap (usually less than $1K, sometimes can be had for $700 or so), and used to be a decently reviewed unit, back in the day. About $1K is his limit.
Is it worth having him wait to save up a bit more to go to the SP14?
Sorry Raider, I've no hands-on experience w/ the SP9, though in it's day, it was considered one of the best. However, to answer your question, I would advise your BIL to wait for a SP-14 to come along, especially if phono is important to him. Also, the functionality of the SP-14 can't be beat. Recording one source while listening to another, coarse and fine level controls, mucho inputs/outputs. Unless one requires balanced ins and outs, I think it's a really great preamp.
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