[OBF]

Since we've been on the subject of giant-killer preamps lately........

I've also got the itch to upgrade my preamp as I feel it might be the weakest link in my system (aside from wanting to try a NOS dac but can't decide on the Nixon or Ack).  I've got an Anthem Pre 2L which I think is decent but probably more veiled than my eAR digital amp and Ellis 1801 speakers.

I originally bought the Anthem because it has a remote and a low output impedance for a tube preamp.  I'd really prefer a remote, but I was actually thinking of picking up a Minimax just to hear what kind of a difference it could make, but then I found out it's got an output impedance around 1.5 kohms.  I believe that would be pretty much incompatible with an amp with an input of only 9k.

Anyone have any ideas?     My budget would be around $1,000-$1,500 and used would be just fine.  I'd like some good tubes to add some warmth to the analytical eAR-1801 combo, but it seems most tube pres have a high output impedance.

The remote controlled Dodd could be an option but there's esentially no reviews on that particular preamp I know of besides Danny's.

If I give up on a remote, perhaps the AVA T7 might be my best bet in this price range?

[Bill O'Connell]

People have used the MiniMax Preamp with Goldmund Mono's that are 10K input impedance and some Levinson amps that I also believe are 10K
   There are a couple of demo's out. email me and I might be able to get a demo out to you fairly soon, or if you have a local dealer I'm sure they would lend one out for a home audition.
 Bill

[ak645]

Hi Bill,

 I'm using a VTL 5.5 preamp.They can be found used at Audiogon for around $1500.Not veiled or murky at all.Quite the opposite,very open and detailed.Has remote volume,polarity flip,and mute.It's got a huge dual mono power supply,bigger then a lot of power amps.Dual buffered outputs,185 ohm output impedance.Can drive just about any SS,rated (if I remember correctly) down to 30k ohms.Plenty of tube rolling opportunities.I'm currently using (4) Siemens E81CC and (2) RCA B.plate 12ax7.All Audiophle parts etc.

 There's an on-line review at the Stereophile website.Happy Hunting!

 Andy

[jackman]

Hi,
If you decide to give up on a remote, I also have Ellis 1801's and really like the T7R with them.  It's within your budget ($1,199)  is completely transparent and gives you the flexibility of tube rolling (really inexpensive 12At7's), long tube life, and future upgradeability as new upgrades are developed.   Quite honestly, you may want to look at a T6 for $800, selling your amp and picking up an Omegastar 440.  I have listened to the Omegastar and thought it sounded excellent with my Ellis.   It actually sounded better than the original Fetvalve amp I compared it with (and own).  

The Ellis can be extremely resolving speakers, which is a two edged sword.  Paired with good electronics (or at least electronics that go well with the Ellis) they can sound amazing.  Pair them with the wrong electronics (they didn't like the Solar amp which is a very good amp) and the Ellis can be brutal.  I've played around with sevearal amps, preamps, crossovers, etc. and finally think I'm close to getting these speakers to really shine.  

Crossover and resistor changes have made a huge difference in the sound of my 1801's, as did room positioning.  I switched from the original crossover (A)design to the B crossover and really liked the change.  The speakers had much better bass with the B version and lost that "leanness" in the lower mids, while retaining most of the resolution.  Plus, it allowed me to pull them out into the room.  Major improvement!  I was using the 8 ohm resistor on the tweeter in series with a 12.5 ohm in parallel.  Thought it sounded pretty good until I heard Jerry's Dynaudio 25th anniversary speakers ($5,000) monitors.  I realised that I was giving up too much high frequency detail and "air" with this resistor combination.  Swapped out the 8's for 7's (in series this removes the attenuation from the highs) and switched the 12.5's with 15 ohm resistors in parallel (this raises the tweeter level).  Sounded great on good recordings but was very bright and "hot" on poor or bright recordings.  Adding a bit of toe-in helped but it still wasn't enough.  I finally swapped the 15 ohm resistors for 12.5's.  The 7 ohm in series/12.5 ohm parallel works perfectly.  I still have all of the air and detail and highs are silky smooth.  Bass and lower mids are still very good.  I'd suggest putting those mini connectors (from Radio Shack) on your resirtors so you can make swaps without soldering.  Makes for easy changing.  You can also just twist them together (if you're careful) and solder once you find the best combo.  Finding the right resistor combination was one of the best things I ever did for my system, and the cheapest ($3.00 each for the best ones you can buy)!

Another major improvement was experienced when I changed positioning.  I have a rectangular room and used to have the speakers on the short wall playing into a room whose back wall was a half wall leading to my elevated kitchen.  I moved the speakers to the long wall, with a slight toe-in and listen to them from about seven feet away.  Wow!  Best improvement I have ever made.  I quickly learned those guys who are always harping about positioning aren't nuts afterall!  They are completely correct.  The biggest improvements were in bass response (major) and soundstage.  Bass became much more authoratative and deep and soundstage became much deeper and wider.  Best tweek ever and it was free!   Makes me wonder what room treatments would do.  That's my next project.  

I love the AVA gear and highly recommend it, but would suggest that before you buy anything (including wires, etc.), play around with positioning and find the best resistor combination for you.  You could be in for a real surprise.

Good luck,

Jack

[jb0194]

You may want to contact John Hillig via www.musicaldesign.com

I bought a ss sp3-b prototype from him about a year ago  - all tantalum resistors, Black Gates almost everywhere, with a 1.2 Farad outboard power supply ( battery-like! twin Torroids bigger than many amps! hide the kids and pets!). Unbelievable performance.

I just bought an SP2-b tubed preamp from John this week for a second system (6922 tubes). No phono stage, but he's almost done tweaking one that can be retrofitted later if you want. Can't comment on its sound as it's not here yet, but John's an old pro and has a good ear. Resale may be the only issue if that's a consideration, as Musical Design products are not widely known.

The sp2-b is under $1000, so it fits your budget.

[OBF]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Bill,

The minimax sounds like a bad mismatch for my amp, but it's also my understanding that those impedance ratios are less important than the preamp design and what it's capable of driving.  Still, a 5-1 ratio sounds like trouble, but it couldn't hurt to try.  


Andy,

The VTL 5.5 sounds very interesting.  The remote volume would be great.  I read a couple reviews and most everything sounds favorable - transparent, dynamic, and not rolled off.  I did find a section on the website where they state the 5.5 has a low output impedance due to the buffering and is rated into a 20k load.  That's a bit more than double my amp so it sounds like VTL would not recommend the match.  But I'm going to check into it some more.  I'd never pay over $3k for it, but at used prices it's around the cost of the AVA T7 and has a remote.  I wonder which sounds better?


jb0194,

I'm not at all familiar with Musical Design, but I just looked over the website.  Sounds like he makes some very nice products.  After you get the 2B I'd really like to hear what you think about it.  Please PM me if you're so inclined.


Jackman,

Thanks for the comments on the 1801s.  My placement options are fairly limited because I'm using a front projector and the speakers get in the way.  I'm also stuck on the short wall.  But that said, I've recently been pulling them out an extra couple feet when I listen to music and it has helped.  Better imaging and the bass is much more defined.  I suspect you are right about placement being the best tweak.  I probably haven't even heard my 1801s sound their best as I've never tried them on the long wall and I've generally had the best results on the long wall with other speakers.

I do have the B crossover.  The speakers were build by Darren Thomas and he assembled the crossovers.  I don't even know what resistor combo is installed in my speakers.  At the time, Dave was supposedly shipping all 3 combos with new kits, but I only received what was installed.  I should probably look into that and then get the other resistors to try out.  

I'm very tempted on the AVA T7.  It's got to be one of the cheapest preamps to get such universal praise.  I just wish the damn thing had a remote and Frank wasn't such a purist.   I've thought about selling the eAR so I'd have more options, but anticipated resale value is stopping me.  On the other hand, I could probably sell it and buy a used AVA amp and have some money left over.  I really do like the eAR, I just don't understand why it has to have such an insanely low IE.

Lots of stuff to think about....  

[ak645]

I'm sure the AVA T-7 is just great.I have an older AVA Fet-Valve phono stage that's excellent.I decided I needed a remote so I passed on the AVA preamp.With a 10k ohm input impedance I'd guess the T-7 is the only tubed unit that would work with your amp.

 I do have two other suggestions.

 1-The Mccormack RLD-1 is really good.The sonic signature is actually quite similar to the VTL.You can get one around $1500 new.The reason I didn't buy this one is the LED readouts were too bright for me,no knobs only buttons,and no tubes.Don't know what the output impedance is though.

 2-Somewhat more radical.Change the input impedance of your amp.It's very easy to solder a couple resistors across the inputs,cheap too.You can raise the impedance to whatever you want,use whatever preamp you want.I'd check with amp manufacturor before doing this.

 Good Luck!
 Andy

[Oxia]

Here's a suggestion: The Blue Circle 21.1. Blue Circle makes top notch gear, and this unit has pretty much everything you asked for: remote control, tubes, and a low output impedance.  According to a recent Stereophile review, it's output impedance ranges from 453 ohms at 1kHz and 20kHz to 727 ohms at 20Hz, which should be a fine match for the eAR.  
I spotted one on audiogon, which has a remote, and is selling for $1200:

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?preatube&1076458159

At any rate, I know what you mean about the eAR's low output impedance, which is too bad, as it makes the amp rather finicky about preamplifiers. I'm lucky that my pre's output impedance is only 30 ohms and it sounds like nothing (which is a good thing IMHO), but I wouldn't recommend it for you as it doesn't have a remote... I noticed that the latest version of the eAR has a revised input stage, which gives it a more user-friendly input impedance of 50k ohms.  Although Peter can upgrade your amp to the latest spec, I think it's a rather pricey option if all you're concerned about is the input impedance. If you're happy with the eAR and you just want a more transparent preamp, then don't worry, there are lots of great and inexpensive preamps out there with robust output stages that can make your eAR sing at it's best. Cheers!