DickW-do you have any preamps?

[donc]

i had read about and written you in previous post,a pre amp is actually what i am in the market for now,do/will you have any available ? if not,ant recommendations ? donc

[donc]

[dickwest]

For years I used a passive line level controller coupled with a PSIV-A preamp for a moving coil cartridge. After moving to all CD format and selling off vinyl equipment it became obvious only a passive line level controller was required for my rig as my CD player puts out a 2 volt signal and its ALPS volume contols sounded OK.

However, for other situations, there may be equipment combinations that will benefit from some impedance matching; therefore, an active device in between source output and amplifier input is needed. But, again, this is only at line level, there is no preamplification, and most active line controllers can sound very similar.

Personally, I use an older Rotel Dolby Pro Logic HT pre/pro and it has acceptable performance as a line level controller. Plus, I am lazy and its remote control is a boon on a lazy winter afternoon. This pre/pro can be used in straight stereo mode, plus it provides an output to drive a mono sub. These types of older HT equipment are often available for under $100 on eBay.

If you use a CD player source no "pre-amplification" is required, therefore all you need is a line level controller of some sort, either passive or active. If you still are spinning vinyl with a low output level moving coil cartridge, then ignore my above comments and go to the appropriate Audio Asylum forum.

Whatta' hobby! My $0.02 . . .

Dick West

> i had read about and written you in previous
> post,a pre amp is actually what i am in the
> market for now,do/will you have any
> available ? if not,ant recommendations ?
> donc

[bogie]

I've also got a Rotel pre-5.1/DTS preamp that I picked up. Not too bad. My only gripe is that my remote has died... And _nobody_ makes "out of the box" remotes for Rotel...

> For years I used a passive line level
> controller coupled with a PSIV-A preamp for
> a moving coil cartridge. After moving to all
> CD format and selling off vinyl equipment it
> became obvious only a passive line level
> controller was required for my rig as my CD
> player puts out a 2 volt signal and its ALPS
> volume contols sounded OK.

> However, for other situations, there may be
> equipment combinations that will benefit
> from some impedance matching; therefore, an
> active device in between source output and
> amplifier input is needed. But, again, this
> is only at line level, there is no
> preamplification, and most active line
> controllers can sound very similar.

> Personally, I use an older Rotel Dolby Pro
> Logic HT pre/pro and it has acceptable
> performance as a line level controller.
> Plus, I am lazy and its remote control is a
> boon on a lazy winter afternoon. This
> pre/pro can be used in straight stereo mode,
> plus it provides an output to drive a mono
> sub. These types of older HT equipment are
> often available for under $100 on eBay.

> If you use a CD player source no
> "pre-amplification" is required,
> therefore all you need is a line level
> controller of some sort, either passive or
> active. If you still are spinning vinyl with
> a low output level moving coil cartridge,
> then ignore my above comments and go to the
> appropriate Audio Asylum forum.

> Whatta' hobby! My $0.02 . . .

> Dick West

[donc]

i am using a yamaha cdc-675 which has a remote volume control ( no volume knob,remote only ).have been using pioneer sx-1080 pre-amp section.want to take the pioneer out of the loop which leave the cd player and an aphex 104 aural exciter before signal goes into amps !? donc

[unknownuser]

There may be acceptable reasons for using an Aphex on stage or in recording, where you desire to distort the sound for aesthetic reasons. I cannot conceive why you'd use one in a playback system at home.

If the yamaha CD player has a remote volume control, you don't need anything between it and the power amp.

HTH,
Bill

> i am using a yamaha cdc-675 which has a
> remote volume control ( no volume
> knob,remote only ).have been using pioneer
> sx-1080 pre-amp section.want to take the
> pioneer out of the loop which leave the cd
> player and an aphex 104 aural exciter before
> signal goes into amps !? donc



(Originally posted by: Bill)

[donc]

could not afford a good eq ,mars was going out of business and got it at a still! i would assume one would want some type of control over the sound going into amps,seems as though the music would be flat , lifeless,and to someone else's liking without it !? donc

[unknownuser]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, but the Aphex ain't the right tool, unless you like a presence bump on all your music.

Properly-recorded music isn't flat or lifeless. Yes, there's a lot of garbage out there, but there's also a lot of good stuff that woulod do better without additional processing.

My experience with Aphex goes back to 1975 or so. They were trying to sell one to the network I work for, and I was detailed to audition it. Turned out the only unit they had in town was the one Paul McCartney was using on the Wings Over America tour, so I got invited down to Madison Square Garden for the sound check (and stayed for the show.) Yes, it works; it was being used to pump up the mike on a grand piano, and it worked as advertised. It's like any other tool; in trained hands it can do good things. I'd only use it on a track-by-track basis; I wouldn't use it on an overall mix.

BTW, did you ever hear the story of how the original Aphex was invented? Apparently the guy was building a Heathkit tube preamp and wired one channel backwards on the terminal strip. What resulted was one functional channel, with parts of the other channel working as a side chain adding some mid frequencies back in. The rest is a triumph of marketing.

You can achieve substantially the same effect with a parametric equalizer, though you won't necessarily get all the crazy phase errors the Aphex introduces.

If you really like the sound of the Aphex, OK, but I wouldn't call what you have an accurate reproduction system. Try listening to a couple of good recordings (Tracy Chapman comes to mind) without it.

HTH,
Bill

> could not afford a good eq ,mars was going
> out of business and got it at a still! i
> would assume one would want some type of
> control over the sound going into amps,seems
> as though the music would be flat ,
> lifeless,and to someone else's liking
> without it !? donc



(Originally posted by: Bill)

[donc]

that is why i'm here,that's why i'm selling what i've got.the behringer tube eq comes well recommended for its price.the yamaha cd player i plan to keep.have a new set of behringer 2031a's that i haven't used yet,want the right stuff going through them. also have a mackie amp for subs and a crown for dual 12" towers.what is required in the mix (between cd player and amps )? donc