[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

I now have a power amp and will be ordering a tubed line stage from the same manufacturer later this year. I had bought a cheap $60 jobby on eBay  and its noisey as hell. I need a 2 input, 1 output, all line level preamp. I'll be running a DAC and from my Lounge LCR MKIII phonostage. My original plan was to use a Schiit Sys but its passive and I don't think that will work. Will it?

So is there something sub $100 that will work fine? I'd even rent one and pay chipping. As I said its only temporary (I'll be ordering by year's end). Solid state is fine.

Thanks

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Look for a used Grant Fidelity DAC-11 or Maverick Audio tube magic D1 or D2.  These can be used as a preamp or DAC.

Or look for  an older multi-channel processor like some of these-

https://www.ebay.com/i/352360274609?chn=ps

They will sound better than any $100 preamp.

[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

Thanks. I'm trying to keep it cheap as its only temporary. I'd be fine with the one I have now but its got all kinds of noise coming through it and I can't seem to relieve that.

[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

Do you think a passive would work? I think the Lounge outputs much lower than line level....thats my biggest concern.

[guest61169]

I would try the passive if it is suitable for your mystery amp.

(Alternatively, pick up a cheap vintage preamplifier like a Hafler, Adcom, etc. to use for a few months). 

[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

I would try the passive if it is suitable for your mystery amp.

(Alternatively, pick up a cheap vintage preamplifier like a Hafler, Adcom, etc. to use for a few months).

Does my amplifier matter? Its an Odyssey Khartago Stereo with some mods.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

My original plan was to use a Schiit Sys but its passive and I don't think that will work. Will it?

Why wouldn't it? Unless someone else can see a reason it wouldn't work, the Sys would be my recommendation.

[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

Why wouldn't it? Unless someone else can see a reason it wouldn't work, the Sys would be my recommendation.

Because the Lounge outputs at 20-25% of line level (at least thats how I interpret it). Am I wrong?

[JackD]

The Lounge has 40 db gain and the Khartago has a 1 volt input sensitivity so the SYS will work fine as a stop-gap preamp assuming you are using a MM cartridge with standard output levels. 

[leica m3]

Take a look at the Bottlehead Quickie battery powered preamp. Only $99 batteries not included.

[JLM]

Another vote for the SYS.  The only issue is muted high frequencies if interconnects are long or have the wrong impedance.

[RDavidson]

Another vote for the SYS.  The only issue is muted high frequencies if interconnects are long or have the wrong impedance.

Impedance is variable with pure passive linestages that use a resistor ladder or mechanical potentiometer. I'm sure this applies to other types as well, but definitely applies to the typical aforementioned passive linestage types (that don't use an active buffer of some sort). As such, one cannot do anything to match impedance with IC's. All one can really do is get IC's with low resistance and capacitance. This is where the rule of thumb regarding using shorter IC's (with passive linestages) stems from. Shorter IC's will inherently have less resistance and capacitance. A normal 1M length IC, that doesn't have goofy/questionable electrical parameters, shouldn't be a problem...except maybe in systems that have unusually low V gain. In that scenario, a passive linestage shouldn't be used anyway.

[MONKEYWICKEDMONKEY]

Another vote for the SYS.  The only issue is muted high frequencies if interconnects are long or have the wrong impedance.

I forgot about this thread. Whoops.

I ended up with a Schiit Sys I got used. So far its working well fronting the power amplifier competently. I have a few records where electric guitars on the higher end of the midrange spectrum get a little shouty but outside of those handful of records it sounds good. I do notice my digital sources sound a touch warmer/more full than my analog source but this was the case before with my integrated amp.

I didn't add this to my OP but I'm running a half meter Morrow MA3 between the SYS and amp.

Anyway, I should have done what I originally intended (SYS). Thanks all!