preamp vs amp

Hi bud;
I just can't agree with that statement, In my experience especially ture for Speakers is that they will faithfully reproduce what is down the audio chain, that being said; if you have an extremely revealing speaker (I'm not talking about money here); will reveal any falws the preamp or CD player or DAC or amplifier would show.
You can find componennts that on themselves have a trremendous merit but are able to find used in the market today.
I can oput together a killer system with less than 10K and will compete witha system costing $100K.
Here it is:
Good source CD.DVD Audio Drive unit (OPPO System comes to mind)$200
Outstanding DAC (Benckmark Media, Bel Canto) $1,000
Audible Illusions MOdulus 3 or L-2 modified by Wheezer (Local tube tinkerer/Guru) $$700 used + $700 Mod) they really cna sound like a $5K CAT is done properly and retubed with NOS tubes. and that adds another $1,400 to the equation.
Buy on eof the KT-88 tube Jobs from China, I'll tel you in a little secret don't connect them to your wall direct go through a Variac transformer and bring it down into 110 Volts exactly usually we have 120 to 125 volts in out grids that will damage teh circuits of these amps they are designed for actual 110 Volts, that will set you back some $700 or so plus a variac on E-bay (good used 10 amp or 12 even ) will set you back another $70 or so. I bought through the recommendations of a manufacturer good friend a Yaqin MC100B amp and use it as amplifier only and bypass the preamp stage.
Then pick a pair of speakers that are revealing and warm and inviting and something you really enjoy listening music with (Meadowlark, Vandersteen 3 or Quattro's, even an older Dahlquist DQ-20 Tannoy or KEF, or . . there are too many to list just make sure they are efficient enough to be driven with 60 watts worth of tube output, (more steam than 130 watts SS amplifier).
So far we're around the $7K mark if buying careful and good or around $9 if buying brand new and paying full "retail" . . .
Still have soem moeny to buy excellent cables such as Kimber Kable, some of the Shunyatas, Acrolink, Oyaide power outlets and a good AC power filter, Running SPrings Audio and Exact power come to mind they are entirely opposites but do a fine job at cutting noise form the AC power line, especially for front end components.
An that system if propely tweaked, set up and run should be able to compete with soem of the stupid expensive systems in musicality, enjoyment, resolution, imaging and all around good feelin'foot tappin' music pleasure.

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I agree with Gonzalo. After speakers, then a good quality pre-amp is going to have the biggest impact. I went from a good multi-channel pre-amp/processor to an Audio Research LS26 and it changed the way I listen to music! I never thought my system could sound as good as it does. When I added a great CD player the difference was also impressive, but not as dramatic.
From now on, when I audition speakers I will care what amp the speakers a re being driven by, but I will focus on what pre-amp is being used- it makes the biggest impact.

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I like to distinguish between noticeable differences and fundamental improvements. Speakers will certainly generate the most noticeable differences because their error levels are so much higher than in other parts of the chain. But that doesn't always mean those differences are improvements.

My experience is that if a system is close to working well, a better preamp is often that final "now it is right" step. And though not a source of obvious differences, those preamp improvements are musically meaningful.

I have had a similar experience from time to time with CD players, but the "preamp" effect only occurs with certain really good CD players. Many CD players sound slightly different, but it is a tossup.

Amps are much more dependent on speaker specifics. With some speakers, amp differences are pretty dramatic. With other speakers, not so. This makes sense because the load presented by different speakers can vary from hard to easy. For preamps and CD players, the load is much more standardized.

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EasyBigFella wrote:Speakers are the biggest variable, but I would argue that the source component is of nearly equal importance, simply because it shapes and defines the quality of the sound before it can be amplified and reproduced. There isn't much that can be done downstream of the source to amend any shortcomings in its sound without some sort of penalty.

I'd like to give youa more clear example.
NHT 3.3 Speakers reviewed as class A (Full Range) Stereopile many moons ago, it has to be in th right room to sound its best I shoudl know my pair when I moved form CA 2 story house lower ceilings along short wall) to my Florida house with higher ceilings things sounded very different indeed sounded horrible without any wall or ceiling treatments etc.
WHT (Wide Horn Technologies frm Australia) high efficiency speaker for a smaller room etc. My family room where I have a pair of JBL Control 5 mounted on the wall above family TV etc.
To be able to enjoya agood speaker you really have to treat the room first accordingly diffenret speakers ofer certain different sweet spots, most speakers beefit form early reflection treatment there si no gioing wrong there now . . going beyond that soem speakers/room interactions require a little bit more live or dead room depending on your furniture and also listenning tastes among other variables.

Don't go spending craz money on expensive speakers without first having tried your actual speakers with teh right room acoustics they might just surprise you in a vey pleasant way.
Having said that I really suggest upgrade electronics along with room acoustics and leave speakers for last . . you just might not need them . . .

Hope this helps a little more.

Thanks;

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