are these any good

[K-5BLAZER]

are these preamps any or better then the one I am using now

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kenwood-KC...d=322878733991&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042

 

[laatsch55]

What are you using now??

 

[K-5BLAZER]

What are you using now??

I am still using this

 

[jbeckva]

The Kenwoods (along with their accompanying KA-209 or so power amp) are pretty much old BPC... I'd pitch 'em in the dumpster.

 

[Northwinds]

Yeah, those preamps are sort of crappy but if you want to get a good performing affordable Kenwood, I would highly recommend a Kenwood Basic C2. It has a killer phono section to boot. I ran one for quite awhile until I was able to afford the current Perreaux SA3 I am running which has been my favorite preamp out of all that I have owned and I have owned some pretty expensive ones. I also have a restored APT Holman hooked up to the Cerwin Vega A-2200 power amp now in the garage and I hate to say it but that rig sounds damn near as good as the Perreaux and WOPL Clair Brothers 700 that is my main system in the house. Either that or my ears are going along with my eyes and everything else. The CV E-712's will be getting hooked up to the Vega amp tomorrow. Right now I have highly modified Bose 501 series IV's on it and they can take everything that the CV can give them. Just the CV bass is missing so the E-712s should be a match made in heaven

 

[K-5BLAZER]

I am not brand picky just looking for a cheap upgrade but that is not it

when I saw 99 cents and no one bid and free shippings it like click bate

I am looking for something that has more features such as loudness tone controles it dose not have to be high-end but middle of the road silver would nice

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

Don't settle just because it's cheap... save your money and make the step up.

 

[K-5BLAZER]

well I have ran a way from it I am saving for some things can any thing good be had for 100

my list reads
new laptop hard drive 56
black knobs for my amp 7
new headphones
better preamp ?
new midranges 31

 

[Netfly]

I use an old SAE 2900. Great sound and can be found for around $200.

 

[VSAT88]

I am still using this

What is the model number on that one ? Oh, BTW I can vouch for the Kenwood C2 or C1 Preamp. Those are two fine preamps. You can do some very cheap "upgrades" to both as well.

 

[K-5BLAZER]

What is the model number on that one ? Oh, BTW I can vouch for the Kenwood C2 or C1 Preamp. Those are two fine preamps. You can do some very cheap "upgrades" to both as well.

it is an ap 1615 the one pictured is not mine found on google I got it with an aa 1640 that was in poor condition I started to have some work done to the 1640 binding posts new rcas and filter caps it did not take well the upgraded caps and could not run my 4 ohm speakers sold it lost my a$$ big time had a km991 witch I also sold and kind of regret doing so it sounded ok handled 4 ohms better but did not have the ballz I was looking for then I was gifted a wopl400 and now my ears are figureitly ruined cause now all I can listen to is my wopl my friends tube amp and middle of the road to high end car systems any other home solid state dose not sound as good any more I would really like a kenwood c1 to bad they do not come in silver

 

[VSAT88]

Naw, early 90's the KW C1 and 2. I like that pre amp you have though. Always liked Kenwood stuff since I bought my C1 and M2. I do not run either anymore in my "main". C2 to a PL 400 to Polk M7's. Same C2 runs a B&K EX 442 to Polk SDA SRS B's. Maybe one day..WOPL...

 

[K-5BLAZER]

1615 is ok but I think I can do a little better down the road my only complaints are no loundness and no tone controls


warning!!!! when if you step up to a wopl it will ruin you for life I am living proof and it will send all your other amps screaming out of the house and will make your speakers shake with fear!!!

 

[VSAT88]

1615 is ok but I think I can do a little better down the road my only complaints are no loundness and no tone controls


warning!!!! when if you step up to a wopl it will ruin you for life I am living proof and it will send all your other amps screaming out of the house and will make your speakers shake with fear!!!

That's funny because I almost never use the tone controls and never use a loudness control. As far as speakers shaking with fear maybe a WOPL 700 but I doubt very seriously that a WOPL 400 would do so. 4 ohm SDA'S can take a shitload of watts/current...650-700 watts..

 

[laatsch55]

it is an ap 1615 the one pictured is not mine found on google I got it with an aa 1640 that was in poor condition I started to have some work done to the 1640 binding posts new rcas and filter caps it did not take well the upgraded caps and could not run my 4 ohm speakers sold it lost my a$$ big time had a km991 witch I also sold and kind of regret doing so it sounded ok handled 4 ohms better but did not have the ballz I was looking for then I was gifted a wopl400 and now my ears are figureitly ruined cause now all I can listen to is my wopl my friends tube amp and middle of the road to high end car systems any other home solid state dose not sound as good any more I would really like a kenwood c1 to bad they do not come in silver

Punctuation is highly over rated...

 

[62vauxhall]

You may need to put less of a priority on something silver faced. Most often it would command a premium if for no other reason than it's silver.

Two pre's that I've had great experiences with are NAD (1020 & Monitor 1000) and Hafler DH101. Both sounded excellent to me. So much so that I sought out another Monitor 1000 and kept the DH101 when I did a bit of a pre-amp purge. I removed an APT Holman from the system to lubricate it's input selector and have not bothered yet to take out the DH101 I put in it's place.

Both Hafler and NAD were "darlings" in their day so lots were sold, therefore not too hard to come by. More in/out jacks on the Hafler and both have tone controls. Neither have a loudness switch - tone controls accomplish the same thing. Both sound very good (in my opinion) with a WOPL and neither have stepped volume controls. That can be a distinct advantage with that much power on tap.

Since I am too poor to pay attention, any audio I get must be at the low end of the price spectrum. And they usually need things done to them.

As example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-VINTA...793561?hash=item3af7297959:g:6M0AAOSwIFtaB-EK

 

[K-5BLAZER]

You may need to put less of a priority on something silver faced. Most often it would command a premium if for no other reason than it's silver.

Two pre's that I've had great experiences with are NAD (1020 & Monitor 1000) and Hafler DH101. Both sounded excellent to me. So much so that I sought out another Monitor 1000 and kept the DH101 when I did a bit of a pre-amp purge. I removed an APT Holman from the system to lubricate it's input selector and have not bothered yet to take out the DH101 I put in it's place.

Both Hafler and NAD were "darlings" in their day so lots were sold, therefore not too hard to come by. More in/out jacks on the Hafler and both have tone controls. Neither have a loudness switch - tone controls accomplish the same thing. Both sound very good (in my opinion) with a WOPL and neither have stepped volume controls. That can be a distinct advantage with that much power on tap.

Since I am too poor to pay attention, any audio I get must be at the low end of the price spectrum. And they usually need things done to them.

As example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-VINTA...793561?hash=item3af7297959:g:6M0AAOSwIFtaB-EK

that is a nice preamp I have seen it all ready when I was searching and it is a good price I like the feel of stepped controls but I also see how they could cause a problem you can go from good listening level to too loud on a stepped control where the the non stepped you can give it a small nudge if you want a little more and it wont be too loud

I am going to seak out a hafler dh101 I think it will make me happy

 

[K-5BLAZER]

now it is question time

what do you think my heathkit ap 1615 will bring it is super clean inside no dirty controls there are some marks on the face one of the knobs is messed up form a po the top has beer and soda can rings on it the wood end caps are excellent and I have the origanal building instruction

 

[VSAT88]

Punctuation is highly over rated...

lol

 

[VSAT88]

that is a nice preamp I have seen it all ready when I was searching and it is a good price I like the feel of stepped controls but I also see how they could cause a problem you can go from good listening level to too loud on a stepped control where the the non stepped you can give it a small nudge if you want a little more and it wont be too loud

I am going to seak out a hafler dh101 I think it will make me happy

Happy here with the one Hafler product I have. It is not a pre its a DH 220, sounds great no powerhouse. As far as a pre goes I do not think one could do any better on the lower end price wise than A DH 101. It is American made just like PL. As far as stepped volume controls go about 90 % of the time I listen to digital format on my PC so I can step up or down using Foobar 2000's volume control. I once had a SPEC 1 Pioneer and it had stepped volume. Thought I would not like it but kind of did. What I really liked though was the attenuation switch.