Stereo Preamp vs. AV-Controller from a sonic perspective
Boomzilla -- Tue, 10/13/2009 - 07:17
I've taken Mr. Harley's advice to shop not for equipment but for a dealer. The dealer that I've selected seems very competent, but has told me some puzzling things.
The dealer politely claims that the stereo sections of AV-preamps are more alike than different, and that an increase in price, while providing more features, does not necessarily provide a commensurate improvement in stereo sound quality. In other words, once the (medium-high) ceiling in stereo sound quality is reached with an AV controller, there is no more sonic improvement (in straight stereo music mode) to be had despite increasing cost. To get better sound in straight stereo, one must go to a...
Analog Stereo Preamplifier: The dealer further says that with stereo-only preamplifiers, there is a strong positive correlation between price and sound quality, and that the correlation continues all the way up the price spectrum. Obviously, there is some point of diminishing returns, but the "more money = better sound" equation remains true at almost every point on the preamplifier price spectrum.
Assuming that we're talking new equipment (that is also carried by my dealer - brands include McIntosh, Classe, and Rotel):
First, is there general agreement with the tenets expressed above by my dealer?
Second, what is the approximate price point at which a AV-preamp can be bettered by a stereo preamp in terms of stereo sound quality?
Third, where is the point of diminishing returns on stereo-only preamps in terms of sound quality for the buck?
The next time I visit my dealer, I plan to ask him these questions as well, but I thought I might enquire here just to see what you online gurus might say on the subject. Thanks in advance for your consideration - Boomzilla
In an absolute sense, the best AV controllers don't sound as transparent as very good stand-alone stereo preamplifiers, in my experience. Although it's true that in AV controllers a higher correlates with additional features, often a higher price results in superior sound in two-channel mode. It's also generally true (but not in every case specifically) that spending more on a two-channel preamp results in better sound. Your dealer is correct that there's a more linear relationship between price and performance in two-channel preamplifiers than in AV controllers, broadly speaking.
I use what I consider to be the best-sounding AV controller on the market, the Classe SSP-800. Still, I don't run two-channel signals through it. I instead use the SSP-800 with a two-channel preamplifier.
As for the point of diminishing returns on a stereo preamp, that depends on the quality of the rest of your system and your expectations. The Parasound JC-1 at $4000, for example, is probably bettered only by units costing upward of $8k.
Thank you, Robert. I appreciate your time and consideration. Unfortunately, my dealer doesn't carry the Parasound product line. Are there any particular values for the dollar that you know of in the McIntosh, Classe, or Rotel lines of stereo preamps?
A good sense of humor makes it ALL sound better!
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