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Thinking it's time for a new 2 channel preamplifier


avguytx

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I've had my Carver C-1 for over 15 years now and I completely rebuilt it with the BillD mods that are known well on the Carver forum.  It sounds great and is dead quiet, but, I believe I'm ready to get into something new.  I was the Onkyo/Integra rep for 9 years for OK, AR and north Texas so I've been in good with the National Sales manager for a long time plus know the COO of the distributor that covers the southern 5 state territory.  I've had my eye on the Onkyo P3000R for quite some time as it's loaded with digital inputs (USB, 2 each of Optical and Coax, plus ABS/EBU) and a host of analog inputs as well.  Oh, and it has remote control of course.  The D/A side uses 192kHz/32-bit Burr Brown PCM1795 for each channel along with separate power supplies for digital and analog (a big toroidal transformer for the analog side).  And it still has a MM Phono input for my turntable and 1200+ LP collection.  Also, with my C-1 being all analog input, I have to use a separate DAC for each digital source that's tied into it; one for USB computer connection, one for PS3, and one for TV output.  So it will be nice to simplify things up and have a few less wires.  I had also looked at a couple of the NAD preamps as I was the rep for NAD/PSB those same years and emailed the big wig there as well.  But, the C510 is all digital so it makes it hard for the phono and the C165BEE is all analog and I'm back to the same situation as I am now.

 

So just waiting now for am email back to see what I can buy one for.  Now I'll have build a new rack for my gear and whittle down some of the extra pieces that are in it that aren't being used.  Oh well...

 

https://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=P-3000R&class=Stereo Receiver&source=prodClass

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I would seriously consider the fully analog Emotiva XSP-1 preamp paired with the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC.  It may be cheaper and I believe their build quality is awesome!  I love mine!!! I also like keeping the analog and digital separated by a set of XLR cables. 

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59 minutes ago, Trentster5172 said:

I would seriously consider the fully analog Emotiva XSP-1 preamp paired with the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC.  It may be cheaper and I believe their build quality is awesome!  I love mine!!! I also like keeping the analog and digital separated by a set of XLR cables. 

 

That would be exactly my selections. XSP-1 and DC-1. Best of both worlds on a budget.

 

 

Tim

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15 hours ago, avguytx said:

 I've had my eye on the Onkyo P3000R for quite some time as it's loaded with digital inputs (USB, 2 each of Optical and Coax, plus ABS/EBU) and a host of analog inputs as well.  Oh, and it has remote control of course.  The D/A side uses 192kHz/32-bit Burr Brown PCM1795 for each channel along with separate power supplies for digital and analog (a big toroidal transformer for the analog side).

I have always been intrigued with this piece also as well as the matching M-5000R amplifie

Bill

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That Onk P-3000R looks like a nice digital and analog preamp.

 

Regarding the Emo DC-1, it has a very clean and transparent sound and can be used as a DAC and preamp.  I have it connected directly to a Rotel RB-1582 mk2 amp via balanced cables.  

 

The downside is that it only has 1 optical input.  Looks like you would need 2: 1 for PS3 and 1 for TV.  Technically, you would not need to use the PS3's optical output if you are using HDMI to the TV, as the audio would be output from the TV's optical.  

 

As a sidenote, an advantage to using the TV's optical output for the PS3 is that the audio and video will be in sync.  When using a source's (PS3, blu-ray player, etc) HDMI for video and optical/coaxial for audio, often times the video will lag behind the audio due to the TV's HDMI video processing.  I have found that the audio and video are in sync when using the TV's optical output for sources connected to the TV via HDMI.  There is a trade-off though, as I have noticed a degradation in audio quality (when listening to concert discs) when using the TV's optical vs. disc player's digital coax connected to the DAC.  Fortunately, my disc player (Sony blu-ray player) has an audio sync/delay that allows me to "almost" sync the digital coax audio to the video.  I'm not sure if the PS3 has an audio sync/delay feature.

 

Back to the Emo DC-1, if you can live with one optical input, Emo also makes the SP-1 phono preamp that matches the DC-1, but you would be back to 2 boxes.

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9 hours ago, Trentster5172 said:

I would seriously consider the fully analog Emotiva XSP-1 preamp paired with the Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC.  It may be cheaper and I believe their build quality is awesome!  I love mine!!! I also like keeping the analog and digital separated by a set of XLR cables. 

 

8 hours ago, teaman said:

 

That would be exactly my selections. XSP-1 and DC-1. Best of both worlds on a budget.

 

 

Tim

 

1 hour ago, willland said:

Why don't you consider this.  

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/170693-wts-onkyo-a9070-integrated/#comment-2167614

 

Multifaceted integrated amp that can be used as integrated, preamp, DAC, phono stage, and outboard amp.

 

Bill

I like the Emotiva gear but I can buy Onkyo, Integra, NAD, and most anything else at dealer cost or below with knowing all the National sales managers, rep firms, dealers in a 5 state area, etc.  (I also personally know about 20 Klipsch dealers so....)  I haven't paid retail for any home audio (or car audio) in 30 years and won't start now.  haha  Employee purchase price, or dealer cost, would be less than the Emotiva gear and maybe right at what the price is for that Onkyo integrated amp (which I like) but would be a waste of a decent amplifier section since I don't need it.  I'll keep using my Dynaco VTA ST-70 on the Belle's as I just built it earlier this year and it sounds outstanding on the CF-3's.

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40 minutes ago, Airgrady said:

I purchased the M5000R amp and the P3000R pre amp five months ago and love them with my Belles. These units are built like tanks. The digital end of the preamp is very nice. My PS4 and cable box hook up are seamless.

 

http://s44.photobucket.com/user/Airgrady1988/slideshow/

 

That M5000r is a massive, and sexy, beast for sure.  That's a lot of power for Belles!  ha.    Well, 80wpc isn't too crazy of power on Belle's when you get down to it.  Headroom, baby...

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Ok....got my pricing back from the Nat'l sales manager and will be ordering the P-3000R as soon as he sends me over the sheet.  I'd consider buying the M-5000R along with it but I don't really need another amplifier; I'm really happy with the Dynaco VTA ST-70.  It's definitely nice to have kept in touch with all the people I've worked with, and worked for, in the past...never a bridge burned.  

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2 hours ago, avguytx said:

Ok....got my pricing back from the Nat'l sales manager and will be ordering the P-3000R as soon as he sends me over the sheet.

That's great.  Good to have friends in high places.;)

 

2 hours ago, avguytx said:

It's definitely nice to have kept in touch with all the people I've worked with, and for, in the past...never a bridge burned.  

Very important words of wisdom.

 

Bill

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Did you say Onkyo? Never heard of them; my basement 10 years ago (staged for photo only). You might notice that the top amp's glass is darker. In 1987 some crackhead broke into my house in Tx and commenced to destroy things. A whiskey bottle took out this glass and was replaced.

 

Onkyo rack.JPG

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15 minutes ago, avguytx said:

Wow...  Now that's a stack of Onkyo gear you don't see all together at once too often!

and hand carrying them from stereo shops in Japan and Okinawa back to the airplane was not fun. Not shown are the P30 & P50 series pre amps and T9090 tuners.

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That's classic! 

 

I remember being at an Onkyo/Integra Rep Meeting dinner in Chicago back in 2006 and talking 2 channel audio with Mr Ohtsuki, the Onkyo Japan president. That was a real treat. Helluva nice person and loved listening to music...he didn't care as much for video...but loved his 2 channel setup and just talking with people about their likes and tastes in music and gear. 

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Alright Onk fans. Lets go back late 70's early 80's. Same time frame, same dealer I bought my first and dealer new LaScallas. 

They ran all their high end speaks, Full line Klipsch Haeritage at the time, with Onkyo hi- end gear. And back then this was really, really good stuff. Preamp was the P303 Ultimate  and for the life of me I can't recall the matching amp, maybe M503 or 505?.

Would give my eye teeth for this set today. Might well have been Onkyo at its best. Same period they made the A Series integrated amps - A10/7/5 and matching tuners. 

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By accident!!(ha..there are no accidents!!) I just found a pair of Fortes on ebay Saturday.  Included in the already sweet deal was a Luxman R117 stereo receiver that they were using to power the Fortes.  Not a receiver I would ever have looked to buy but wow is it ever powerful and does it ever make the Fortes sing sweet!!

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1 hour ago, cgolf70 said:

By accident!!(ha..there are no accidents!!) I just found a pair of Fortes on ebay Saturday.  Included in the already sweet deal was a Luxman R117 stereo receiver that they were using to power the Fortes.  Not a receiver I would ever have looked to buy but wow is it ever powerful and does it ever make the Fortes sing sweet!!

Sweeeet.

 

The R-117 is one special piece.:emotion-21:  Thumping bass drive, sweet velvety midrange, and detailed highs.  Did I mention power/headroom?:unsure:  Soundstage?

 

Easily drove my RB-35's and Heresys as speaker A and speaker B without breaking a sweat.

 

Bill

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