Radiohead Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 I am looking to hear from Heritage owners, specifically Khorn owners, about what preamps they have tried and tested. Which one(s) did you like the best and why? Also, please list your musical tastes and interests as well so that everyone here can gauge the feedback accordingly. I would really appreciate any and all input you'll may have on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 Radiohead, thanks for this topic. For all the talk about amplification around here, I think the preamps get overlooked FAR too much. I think this has as much bearing on the system sound as any of the electronics, and look forward to the responses here. FWIW, I currently use the most neutral preamp ever manufactured in my 2 channel setup. It has NO sonic signature. It's called NONE I'm using an Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player into a Mac 250 amp and a pair of Belles, just using gain controls. I figured it's a pretty good place to start - at neutral. A Mac MX110 is on the way to fill this role (tube tuner/pre), and I'm very excited to see what my first ever tube unit does for this rig. Let's talk preamps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 Same as it ever was -- there is no such thing as "neutral". No preamp? -- I call that flat and sterile Why advice only from Heritage users -- have they cornered the market on preamp knowledge? Gee, I got some good info, but since I only have RF-7's, I suppose I should bow out now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 I have Khorns and an AE-3 6SN7-based pre-amp. It is SS voltage rectified with oil caps and sounds very nice. No hint of grain at all. The vintage of the 6SN7's makes a big difference. Currently I'm using Sylvania flash-top yellow labels. I have a Pantheon on order from Jeff; he's doing a few tweaks to it currently to mate them with the pair of Horus' SET's he's building for me. The Pantheon is tube rectified and has a lot of personality and air to it. Just last night he said, "Lord! I am keeping the preamp!!!! This thing sound much better than when I send it to Kelly! I don't know if I ever listened to Miles Davis "Ascenceur pour l'échafaud" with such pleasure!" Anyway, it's pretty tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 "No preamp? -- I call that flat and sterile :)" Yeah Dean, especially through dem ear bleeders You did take the words right out of my mouth too - you might as well give us your knowledge on this one. I don't envision many 2 channel RF-7 users hijacking this thread anyway! Radiohead, I am curious - is there something about the C22 that you like or dislike? While we are waiting for responses, I think that's an interesting place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radiohead Posted May 11, 2003 Author Share Posted May 11, 2003 dndphishin...I meant to thank you for the complement on the quote in my signature that you gave me in another thread recently. It is one of my favorites as well. Funny thing you say NONE about the preamp. We are in the same boat. My C22 is malfunctioning right now, and has been since I purchased it used about a month ago, so I have it sitting off in the corner. I would like to get it repaired but it is not at the top of my priority list right now. So in the meantime I just have the Rega connected straight into the 240 and I love what I'm hearing. I am eager to know what I am missing, if anything, but not having that C22 in top working condition. I've been talking quite a deal with Allan Songer recently about McIntosh equipment and have been overly impressed with his knowledge in that area, specfically on tube matching with units. He turned me on to some KT-66's recently to use with my 240. They were a night and day difference over the McIntosh labeled 6L6's that came with the amp. He has encouraged me to fix the C22 but right now it's not happening. Dean...of course you can feel free to chime in here. The only reason I said Heritage is because that is what I obviously have. I am open to hearing any and all recommendations. Thanks for the input Chris. I, as well as others here, am eager to hear your review of the Pantheon when you have it up and running. I remember Kelly giving a far amount of praise to this unit before his departure from the forum. If you don't mind divulging please PM with the price range on this unit and how to go about contacting Jeff if I were interested in purchasing one. Is there some kind of wait list for this unit that you know of? Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Taylor Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 I use a Bottlehead Foreplay with my Mcintosh 225 or Pilot 232 and my Heresy II's, For a preamp kit for between $150 -$250 you can't go wrong and the sound is amazing for the price and you can tweek the hell out of it and keep making it better. The foreplay is one of the best deals in audio today, a real steal. I'am really surprized when I read that some people that are big into audio still havn't built one yet,there are some people that spend ten times that price on speaker wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted May 11, 2003 Share Posted May 11, 2003 As the olny current board member running the 6SN7 pantheon pre-amp, i can olny say it's worth its weight in gold. Mines been up and running about 2 months now , and i just love the transparent soundstage and incredible imagining of signal it passes along to my amps. There is " NO " way to describe the sound to someone else. That being said you'll have to have one custom built to find out how good a pre-amp can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triode Pete Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Started out with a McIntosh SS (Solid Sand) C-31V pre-amp...I'd characterize it as harsh & dark-sounding with Klipschorns. Then used a custom built John Wiesner transformer coupled Western Electric 437A pre-amp. Lively & dynamic with plenty of headroom & gain. Also, quieter than the solid state Mc! Currently using a Loesch & Wiesner Western Electric 417A pre-amp. Similar sound to the 437A but with an outstanding phono stage. I would definitely stay clear of solid state pre-amps or use a passive pre-amp any day over SS. My $0.02, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 I have been through several preamps since I got back into The Hobby, I have had several since getting my K-horns. When I purchased the K-horns I was already using Monarchy SM-70 amp(s) being fed by a Monarchy Model 33 preamp/DAC. This was a very good combination with the K-horns, I could have (maybe should have) stopped there and been very happy. Then I started looking at tubes gear. I tried a few tube integrated amps and power amps and ended up with the Moondogs. I was still using the Monarchy Model 33 at that point in time and mobile homeless (aka Kelly) suggested I give a Creek OBH-12 a try. The little Creek is basically just a source selector/volume control (remote) as it is a passive device. It is a great bargain in the ~$200 dollar range used, sounded a bit more transparent than the Monarchy. I like the idea of component matching so I decided to buy a Welborne Labs passive Reveille. The Reveille is a slight step up in transparency, uses dual volume pots and no remote. I also wanted to try a tube based active preamp, so I bought an AES AE-3 DJH version (a Cary Audio product). This was another small preamp, and very nice sounding with the Moondogs but a bit on the bright side in my system. I had been reading good reviews and lusting after a preamp built by Mick Maloney in Australia, the Supratek Syrah. I sold the AES AE-3 and purchased an AES AE-1 to use while the Syrah was being built. The Syrah is in another class from any preamp I have had (it should be for the money)! I dont have all the audiophile terms that some others here have but it is quiet, transparent and adds a new dimension of reality to the music. It did benefit greatly from rolling in some NOS tubes rather than the stock ones that came with it. As far as my taste in music goes, I listen mostly to classic rock such as Supertramp, ELO, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann, Led Zeppelin, Meatloaf, Jethro Tull, etcI could go on and on but you get the idea. One of my greatest pleasures is having folks come over to listen to the system and have them bring their favorite CDs so I can pick up on new (to me) artists. I generally listen in the 85-95dB range unless I am showing off for friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 as a true heretic here (I use tones controls and, god help me, loudness, from time to time) I have to say that I was very satisfied with the progression from my passive preamp (the creek mentioned earlier which later went on to do faithful duty in randy bey's system). then to a reshuffle with another creek attenuator placed right after my DAC. to my current full feature preamp form the sixties from marantz. it required swapping of caps and some resistors to sound as open in the top as I require, but I can tell you I constantly utilize the bass and treble controls (not to mention balance and input and OUTPUT switching) during my listening sessions. I will be making the leap to a tube based preamp (one from jeff lessard) in a few months in the meantime I feel sure that an active preamp was the right choice for me and my system. regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovebolt6 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 ---------------- On 5/11/2003 4:28:52 PM Radiohead wrote: I remember Kelly giving a far amount of praise to this unit before his departure from the forum. Ryan ---------------- Where did Kelly go? I miss his charm and wit. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Dan, Kelly's still alive and hard at work on a few other major projects that have him up to his waist in muck. He'll be back some day when these major projects have been completed. I miss his wit and humor as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 He is hopefully "floatin' his boat"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 sorry just realized you are looking for units auditioned with heritage speakers, you did not mention a proposed budget but here is what I have personally heard : These I have heard hooked up to my system; 1. Marantz 7T (SS but I like it), good frequency extension, great control flexibility, pretty darn transparent. 2. H/K Citation 17S (old SOTA SS weighs 30lbs!) sounds a little veiled in the highs 3. Creek passive OBH-12(?) true transparency, few controls 4. McIntosh 22 (kinda dark sounding) 5. McIntosh MA2400 used as pre, nice and clean, good controls, a little "SS" sounding 6. Audible Illusions (II model I think it was), transparent, a little harsh sounding in the highs. 7. Audio Values JFET pre, worst sounding of the lot, tried to match a tube sound but ended up rolling off treble, bloating bass and overall sounding kinda harsh!...closet fodder. these I have heard hooked up to a friends belle-based system; 1. Cary SLP-98 sounded very round and chewy in the mids and upper bass, good detail but slightly rolled off at the absolute top of the treble. 2. Audio Research SP-3A, nice tube sound, a little veiled on top. 3. my marantz and creek pre's, sounded almost the same as in my system, the guy has gone on to buy a Marantz 7C.. 4. Marantz 7C, great sounding preamp! wide frequency response, but with a nice tuch of tube smoothness. I am waiting for my friend to lend it to me for my system... that's all I have heard paired with heritage. I am sure there are many better examples of pres for you system. look for extremely low noise and I suspect that the more "tube-like" the sound the better the match with heritage speakers. Preamps from Cary, C&J, Wright, blue circle, rogue have all been mentioned to have sounds I imagine would mate well with heritage speakers. or hopefully people will ring in with some lists of preamps they have heard and their opinions of them. hope this helps a little, mention a budget to guide people. tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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