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I have recently put a sonic euphoria preamp into my system that includes:Aragon 8008st power amp,Magnepan mg12 speakers and nad 525 cd player. I have had the preamp for only 2 days and I am wondering If there is a break in period because the sound is clear but thin. I have to turn the volume control knob up to 12:00 to get appreciable volume.
Could there be some incompatibility issues with my amp or should I just be patient and enjoy? Does anyone have any other power amp suggestions?
I would need at least 100 watts for the maggies, I would think and probably ss too. My budget would be no more than 1800.00.
Thanks for any suggestions and help.
I am a passive's newbee.
Follow Ups:
Interesting... I have an Aragon 4004 MK II/Sonic Euphoria combo with a Sony transport driving a Perp Tech DDE & DAC... talking to a pair of Aerial Acousstice (they are definitely current hogs).I have no issues. I would lean toward a problem with the CD/Pre problem or possibly cable issues (if your Aragon has the same rating as mine - shrug).
One thing for sure, "thin" does NOT describe the quality of my TVC.
I usually have my volume cranked well beyond 12 o'clock which is ok by me.
It could be break-in but you should be able to tell *well* within the 30-day time limit if this will work for you.
Hope it all works out!
Preamp is telling you like it is, breakin will help get adjusted to the sound thats about it.
My friend has that preamp driving belcanto 1K monos with power conditioner's ect with good speakers I cant listen to it for long dam. poop in poop out
Just for comparisons, my speakers(Eminent Technology LFT-8A's) run a very low 83db efficiency at 1 watt/1 meter (2.83 V) @ nominal 8 Ohm.My amps run input sen of 1.3V and input impedance at 100K. My CDP outputs 2V. Even my IC cables are not longer than 1.5 meters(most running between .5 to 1 meter) and have a very low 13pf per foot.
Noon on my volume dial is usually plenty loud depending on recorded material. I never go past 2:00.
Sorry to hear of your problems, I hope you get them worked out, it's worth the effort! And yes it takes time to break in, also remember, each volume setting breaks in independently, so the 100 hrs is for each of your usable settings, so vary your listening levels for a complete break in before you make your decision.
Sorry to learn that the Sonic Euphoria isn't performing well in your system. It is a fine piece of audio equipment.I have a Sonic Euphoria, running balanced from SACD player to Audio Research 100.2. I can hardly put the volume past 12:00 without blowing out my windows. The sound is anything but thin.
The volume will not increase with break-in, but the sound might get a little thicker. However, the prominent characteristic of this preamp is its clarity. You might not be accustomed to hearing music with such freedom from distortion and artifacts introduced by active circuitry.
I suspect your CD player does not provide enough output to power your amp. My Marantz SA-11S1 has a 5 volt output, and the Sonic Euphoria drives my main stereo, a subwoofer plate amp, and another remote stereo through the line level outputs, with power to spare.
Perhaps your cables are too long (although I am running a total of 30 feet or so per channel, adding up all the various outputs), or perhaps they aren't ideal for a passive set-up.
What clio09 states is correct. Add to that the low sensitivity of your maggies and you don't have a favorable combination for any passive device. With that being said, I am sure the Sonic Euphoria will benefit from break in. All transformer based passives I have heard sound better after 100 or so hours. And thin is the term I would use to describe the sound before break in. If you have enough usable volume range, I wouldn't do anything until you run it in some more. However, if you can't drive your amp sufficiently now, it won't matter if the thin sound you describe goes away later.
Tough to say what the issue may be. According to what I have read on the specs the Aragon has an input impedance of 22k ohms and an input sensitivity of 1.68V. Not the best specs for an autoformer IMO. I use a passive TVC (similar to an autoformer) and my amp is 67k ohms and .8V respectively. At 12:00 on the volume control I'm getting great volume. I also have a source feeding the passive preamp that is 2V. What source are you using and what is the output rating and output impedance?Typically these things take about a 100 hours to burn in, but I also suspect a mismatch.
My source is an nad 525bee cd player, It's output rating is 2.2v and It's output impedance is ohms.
2.2V should be enough to drive a passive and most amps. In this case you have a pre-amp/amp mismatch. As was stated previously the sound will get a little better, but you won't get the volume you desire.One of the things a TVC or autoformer should do in the right set-up is give you excellent sound through out the volume range. This is especially true at low listening levels.
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