Tunaoue
11-05-2004, 07:49 AM
Being a serious listener, I like the idea of having sonic PURITY of the actual recording coming through the speakers as undisturbed as possible. I am of the opinion that although preamps are wonderful in many ways, they also come with some unwanted baggage.
A few downsides to preamps:
1) they induce colorations of accentuated bass and/or highs.
2) they contribute to the noise.
3) There is added channel separation loss.
The overwhelming offence (IMHO) is the first one - coloration - especially the preamps that have the "contour" or "loudness" feature. It's like having an equalizer to adjust the sound for the wrong reasons. (Tuning the sound to overcome the characteristics of a room is one thing - deviating from the original musical medium is another).
The second offender is separation. When I use a preamp versus just direct into two mono blocks or into a dual channel amp, I notice a drastic difference in seperation. Sonic imaging and transparancy is markedly better. I find that even a quality preamp downgrades the music.
Here's how I handled it ---> I DO NOT USE A PREAMP.
I have a CD player that is piped directly into a a very quiet, but very powerful two channel power amp. The amp has separate left and right volume controls. (I have used two mono blocks as well with the same results).
Of coarse, this is all per my individual taste, but I see the the setup as one of the best kept bargains around. A 200-250W QSC, BGW, Fender or Hafler amp on the used market is only $100 to $300. They're used at Churches for P.A. systems every Sunday and are not abused like some band instruments. Most importantly, they're made for professional musical reproduction.
There is one drawback - these amps tend to come with a fan. Which means I have to stow it in a cabinet or closet, or (very worst case) have it in the next room. I regard it as a minor degree of effort for sake of sonic purity.
Then again, I could be wrong.
Anyone else running with a similar setup?
Opinions, comments?
A few downsides to preamps:
1) they induce colorations of accentuated bass and/or highs.
2) they contribute to the noise.
3) There is added channel separation loss.
The overwhelming offence (IMHO) is the first one - coloration - especially the preamps that have the "contour" or "loudness" feature. It's like having an equalizer to adjust the sound for the wrong reasons. (Tuning the sound to overcome the characteristics of a room is one thing - deviating from the original musical medium is another).
The second offender is separation. When I use a preamp versus just direct into two mono blocks or into a dual channel amp, I notice a drastic difference in seperation. Sonic imaging and transparancy is markedly better. I find that even a quality preamp downgrades the music.
Here's how I handled it ---> I DO NOT USE A PREAMP.
I have a CD player that is piped directly into a a very quiet, but very powerful two channel power amp. The amp has separate left and right volume controls. (I have used two mono blocks as well with the same results).
Of coarse, this is all per my individual taste, but I see the the setup as one of the best kept bargains around. A 200-250W QSC, BGW, Fender or Hafler amp on the used market is only $100 to $300. They're used at Churches for P.A. systems every Sunday and are not abused like some band instruments. Most importantly, they're made for professional musical reproduction.
There is one drawback - these amps tend to come with a fan. Which means I have to stow it in a cabinet or closet, or (very worst case) have it in the next room. I regard it as a minor degree of effort for sake of sonic purity.
Then again, I could be wrong.
Anyone else running with a similar setup?
Opinions, comments?