Most Critical to Sound Production - Amp or Preamp

[eth2]

In developing an audiophile level system, which is the most critical component, the amp or the preamp? Restated, if you had to put your money in one or the other, would it be the amp or the premp?

[mungkiman]

Both.

[eth2]

Both.

 

Pick one. Not two. Not zero. One

[mungkiman]

Pre.

[Woofers and Tweeters]

Speakers 

[Woofers and Tweeters]

From what I have read, the preamp. A lot of people use tubes for a pre and SS for the amp. 

[eth2]

Speakers 

 

AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Wolfbane]

In developing an audiophile level system, which is the most critical component, the amp or the preamp? Restated, if you had to put your money in one or the other, would it be the amp or the premp?

 

Both are links in the chain from source to speaker. That said, I'd pay more for a good pre-amp than amp.

[WMcD]

I'm really not an amp guy. But why be quiet?

In my view the pre amp is in a very friendly environment. The load is friendly and pretty constant. It does not have to produce power to speak of. They are all operating Class A. They just produce some voltage gain. (Yeah, some op-amp are push pull.)

This means that there is no great technological problem. An inexpensive one should do well. I haven't see a distortion level on pre-amps but there is no excuse for distortion in such undemanding environments.

As always, I'll point out that except for the new digital age, there are probably a dozen Class A low level amps in the chain between the microphone and the input to your power amp. They do well and the last one on your rig does to too. It is not going to ruin things

OTOH, the power amp has to do just that, produce power. The speaker load is variable with frequency. This is more demanding on the technology. Therefore, you should expect to have to spend money there to get good results.

WMcD

Edited May 5, 2016 by WMcD

[moray james]

source, pre and power in that order. Ideally you want them all to be equally good. If your pre transfers the source material with no audible distortion and the power amp is able to drive the speakers to the desired levels and is stable with the load and delivers clean power then all you need worry about is your room. Like Ivor at Linn always said the three most important components in an audio system are the source the source and the source,no matter what your source. After the source nothing you can do will make things better your source sets the level of the bar. If you don't get it off the disk (black or silver) what does the rest matter. Jijo - junk in junk out. Choose your amp to satisfy your speaker selection.

 

sorry for the fat fingers.

Edited May 6, 2016 by moray james

[Ski Bum]

I agree w/ WMcD about pre amps, exceptional performance should be fairly easily attained and at reasonable costs, and it is.  I would add that while amp choice should be thoughtfully considered, good, clean watts and the ability to drive low impedance loads is not particularly rare or expensive.

 

As it's always been, the most important things are the speakers, the room they're in, and the quality of the source material.  Source components, pre amps, and amps are small potatoes in comparison.    

[Schu]

From what I have read, the preamp. A lot of people use tubes for a pre and SS for the amp.

This sounds like a great plan to me!

[paul79]

I would put the Source player over the pre or the amp, but Ski is right on. It is that recording that makes all the difference. This is after you get the speaker/room sorted of course.

Edited May 5, 2016 by paul79

[garyrc]

In developing an audiophile level system, which is the most critical component, the amp or the preamp? Restated, if you had to put your money in one or the other, would it be the amp or the premp?

 

If you are using phono, and don't have a separate phono amp (or moving coil amp, if you have MC), then the pre-amp is pretty important.

 

But, in general, with line level inputs the pre-amp is no problem, as WMcD and Ski say.  A good low distortion power amplifier with sufficient headroom and good low level performance as well, is more important.

 

The most important thing in the chain, given decent speakers and room, is the recording.  The variability is high and the standards are low.

[chriswhotakesphotos]

Thinking in-depth about it, I suppose it comes down to the preamp.

 

If for some reason I had to blow a ton of money on one and not the other, I'd buy a good amp and a Schiit SYS. It's a passive preamp, literally a potentiometer that you stick between your source and amp. It's purported to be transparent enough, and would let a good amp do its work while giving control over the volume.

 

I recently bought an Adcom GTP-830 surround preamp, for example, which is fine for surround but squashes musical dynamics compared to a proper preamp (a much older Adcom GTP-500). If I were building a two-channel system and had to choose between the surround preamp ($1200 when it was new) and the Schiit SYS ($50), I'd choose the SYS because it would let the dynamics flow much better. After all, a good amp will never sound better than the worst part of the signal path before it.

 

So on that note, I suppose it also depends on the quality of your source! 

[Ceptorman]

Ears

[Paducah Home Theater]

Isn't that like asking which is more important in a car, the engine or transmission?  

[oldtimer]

source pre and power. Ideally you want them all to be equally good. Like Ivor at Linn always said the three most important components in an audio system are the source the source and the source. If you don't get it off the disk (black or silver) what does the rest matter. Jiko - junk in junk out.

The disk is the source.

[LarryC]

I hear greater differences between amplifiers than between preamplifiers at the extremes of their respective spectra.  Still, a truly second- or third-rate preamp can really lower the listenability and amount of pleasure of a system.  Ditto the amplifier.  In truth, they serve different functions.  Thus, the question as posed is like asking which is more important, the cartridge or the electronics, and that question is ultimately unresolvable nonsense.

 

The question also presumes that it's either one or the other, and that the other contender doesn't contribute as much to the system.  I would disagree with that -- both are critical.  If your choice of preamp is a poor one, then that is the most critical. If your amp choice is not good, that becomes the more critical component.

 

So, the answer IMO is "both," and the question is basically unanswerable in the abstract, in terms of one or the other.    

Edited May 6, 2016 by LarryC

[WMcD]

The wisenheimer responds, "What is the most important leg of a three-legged stool?" But that doesn't help.

WMcD