[dvenardos]

Looking for a list of six channel preamps. I have decided to dump my av pre/pro and since I am about 90% music my ideal solution would be a multi-channel analog preamp. Although I may end up going with an Oppo (maybe there upcoming BD player) and use its volume control and a switch for two channel. So far what I have seen are upwards of 1K and I don't really want to spend that much. What have you heard of or used?

This is what I have seen:
Parasound Halo P7 http://www.parasound.com/halo/p7.php
McCormack MAP-1 http://www.mccormackaudio.com/map1.html
Audio Research MP1 http://www.audioresearch.com/MP1.html
Bel Canto Pre6 http://www.belcantodesign.com/prod_pre6.html

[jeffreybehr]

I absolutely LOVE my conrad-johnson MET-1... http://www.conradjohnson.com/It_just_sounds_right/current-products.html



I drive its 2 sets of 6-channel inputs with the analog outputs of a Denon 3930 for audio and a Samsung 5000 for hi-rez video.

Copland also makes one that's vacuum-tubed.  http://www.divertech.com/coplandcva306.html

Unfortunately both are LOTS more expensive than $1K.

[richidoo]

http://www.redesignsaudio.com/SCPA1.html

Dan Banquer had a review sample on hand when he stopped making gear. He might still have it.

[dvenardos]

Thanks guys. As usual my tastes exceed my budget, but I definitely would like to know what is out there. 

[mgalusha]

I have a 6 channel Gold Point stepped attenuator for sale, it's brand new, $300. If you can use a passive this would work great. Of course you would need a case and some jacks but it's a superb attenuator.

[dvenardos]

I have a 6 channel Gold Point stepped attenuator for sale, it's brand new, $300. If you can use a passive this would work great. Of course you would need a case and some jacks but it's a superb attenuator.

I have looked at their passive preamps and have heard good things about them.
Do you have a link to a description, I am not DIY experienced with electronics but would be interested if I can figure out what I need do and what parts I will need.

Thanks,
Don

[mgalusha]

I have looked at their passive preamps and have heard good things about them.
Do you have a link to a description, I am not DIY experienced with electronics but would be interested if I can figure out what I need do and what parts I will need.

Here is a link to the original post. http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=58012.0

[EDS_]

Looking for a list of six channel preamps. I have decided to dump my av pre/pro and since I am about 90% music my ideal solution would be a multi-channel analog preamp. Although I may end up going with an Oppo (maybe there upcoming BD player) and use its volume control and a switch for two channel. So far what I have seen are upwards of 1K and I don't really want to spend that much. What have you heard of or used?

This is what I have seen:
Parasound Halo P7 http://www.parasound.com/halo/p7.php
McCormack MAP-1 http://www.mccormackaudio.com/map1.html
Audio Research MP1 http://www.audioresearch.com/MP1.html
Bel Canto Pre6 http://www.belcantodesign.com/prod_pre6.html

I've been through the same thinking.

I have a MAP - 1 and love it.  Its analogue "matrixing" of two channel analog sources into 5.1 is awesome.  It works great for music and movies.  Margules Audio (sp?) from Mexico makes a similar device.  I feed my MAP - 1 5.1 analogue from my Oppo 971H or whatever it is called.

You'll love the results.

[Jampot]

If 5.1 is enough look at / for a used Sony TA-P9000ES.

They come up in the usual places from time to time for around $500. No HDMI but 2 lots of 5.1 inputs and a stereo pass through. I don't have a link to hand but the manual is still on the Sony web site under support.

Jim

[MaxCast]

Audio Refinement makes a 5.1 preamp.  I have one    One just sold on Agon for around $500.
It is called a Pre-5. You can barely see it above my Stratos in my avatar.

[dvenardos]

Audio Refinement makes a 5.1 preamp.  I have one    One just sold on Agon for around $500.
It is called a Pre-5. You can barely see it above my Stratos in my avatar.

So how do you like it?
I found an interesting teaser writeup here:
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue61/Pre5.html
Where do you find these things, is the pre 5 current?

If 5.1 is enough look at / for a used Sony TA-P9000ES.

This looks like it does it all too. Anyone like this preamp?

[whubbard]

Link to Pre-5
Audio Refinement Pre-5

-West

[Rob Babcock]

I've got a Margules Daleth that I've been happy with.  Not real easy to find but the price is pretty good.

[Dan Driscoll]

So how do you like it?
I found an interesting teaser writeup here:
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue61/Pre5.html
Where do you find these things, is the pre 5 current?

I have had a Pre-5 in my system for several years and I love it. The only drawback is that there is only 1 set of 5.1 inputs. So if you have more one multi-channel source you will need an external switch. I use a Zektor HDS4.1. The Pre-5 is also an excellent 2 channel preamp, much better than the Bryston 0.5B it replaced, IMO.
 
As for being up to date, it's an analog component that uses discrete transistors, resistors and relays. In terms of "modern" electronics, it was obsolete before it was designed. But so are turntables.

[dvenardos]

I have had a Pre-5 in my system for several years and I love it. The only drawback is that there is only 1 set of 5.1 inputs. So if you have more one multi-channel source you will need an external switch. I use a Zektor HDS4.1. The Pre-5 is also an excellent 2 channel preamp, much better than the Bryston 0.5B it replaced, IMO.

 

As for being up to date, it's an analog component that uses discrete transistors, resistors and relays. In terms of "modern" electronics, it was obsolete before it was designed. But so are turntables.

Thanks, by current was just wondering if it was still in production.

[jeffreybehr]

I owned a Pre-5.  Its single set of 6-channel inputs eventually became 1 too few, and I love the sounds of tubed c-j preamps, so I bought the c-j MET-1 I now have and love.  The Pre-5 also has several pairs of 2-channel inputs.

The Pre-5 is a very good-sounding preamp with simple analog circuitry and also with 6 channels of input- and output-coupling caps.  It has no channel-balance controls so you'll have to use your source devices'.  Level control is analog and motorized.

Here's the original board.


The active circuitry for each channel is mounted on a smallish (maybe 1-1/4" square) circuitboard mounted on edge between the pairs of whitish rectangular coupling caps.  I upgraded the couplers of the 3 front channels plus a bunch of PS 'lytics.

[Dan Driscoll]

That's a good point, the Pre-5 dos not have any signal processing capability at all, no bass/treble control, not even balance. That means your digital source(s) has to be able to handle all of the processing. So if you're listening to a DVD-Audio disc, the player has to decode the MLP encoding, apply time alignment, set each channel level, apply bass management, do the D/A conversion and then output a high quality analog signal from the 6 channel outputs. A lot of DVD players don't do all of that. They may be able to set channel levels, but not do time alignment or bass management.

[ted_b]

Just this past week I made the decision to move away from the digital pre/pro/HDMi hi-rez surround world I had been living in for the past 5 yrs or so and go back to all-analog for my multichannel SACD and DVD-A collection.  This is for mch hi-rez only; my digital pre/pro will still do movies (TrueHD, DTS HD MA and the run of the mill DPLIIxMovie) and my tube preamp w/ HT bypass will still do 2 channel.  But I keep remembering my wonderful Modwright Denon 3910 producing much better SACD and DVD-A surround audio to my old simple Sony TA-P9000ES (all analog, no processing except manual channel trims) than my current OPPO/Onkyo 885 via HDMI thing; these latest mid-fi processors spend all of $1.99 on the analog stages IMHO.  So I've dusted off the surround capabilities of the MW Denon (I've kept it and always used it for 2 channel SACD/DVD-A cuz of the great tubed stage), dusted off some 5.1 analog cables, and went out and repurchased a Sony TA-P9000ES off A-gon for $500.  It gets me back into all-analog.  From there I may have Stan Warren (or Dan if he has the inkling) mod it, or maybe move on to the Met1 that members like splittailz and Jeffreybehr own.  Or maybe it's all i need to get that magic and organic sound back to Beck's Sea Change in 5.1.

I'm excited to get back to basics here.  The Sony arrives Friday.  I'll do a shootout then will likely relieve my Onkyo Pro 885 of any SACD/DVD-A duties.  I'll report back.

[dvenardos]

That's a good point, the Pre-5 dos not have any signal processing capability at all, no bass/treble control, not even balance. That means your digital source(s) has to be able to handle all of the processing. So if you're listening to a DVD-Audio disc, the player has to decode the MLP encoding, apply time alignment, set each channel level, apply bass management, do the D/A conversion and then output a high quality analog signal from the 6 channel outputs. A lot of DVD players don't do all of that. They may be able to set channel levels, but not do time alignment or bass management.

I have got my speakers equidistant so I am good without time alignment and switched to an Outlaw ICBM for bass management so I have got that covered too.

I'm excited to get back to basics here.  The Sony arrives Friday.  I'll do a shootout then will likely relieve my Onkyo Pro 885 of any SACD/DVD-A duties.  I'll report back.

Please do, excited to hear your report.

So how did you guys pickup your pre 5, I don't see any US dealers?
Although I am seriously considering building the Goldpoint passive.

[Dan Driscoll]

So how did you guys pickup your pre 5, I don't see any US dealers? Although I am seriously considering building the Goldpoint passive.

There are US dealers, mainly smaller specialty and on-line shops. However, I bought mine used on Audiogon.