Best old school Preamp?

[BigSkyCory]

I would like some opinions on what you think is the best old school preAmp made? Pioneer Spec 1? Phase Linear 3300 series 2? Those are 2 that I would like to have some day.

 

[BubbaH]

Its probably a biased opinion but my choice, is the Bose 4401. This day and age though most of them need a fair bit of work.

 

[Gepetto]

Yamaha C-2x. Expensive and hard to find but worth it. The only thing I do not like about it is, like every Japanese piece of audio equipment ever made, they use that cheap paper based phenolic circuit board instead of FR-4 material.

I am listening to an Accuphase C-200 that I have in for repair. Also a very nice preamp, great specs, built like a brick s%^&house but suffers that same Japanese curse.

 

[BigSkyCory]

Yes most old stuff will need repair/servicing. I know this guy in Wyoming that does great work. Lee is his name.

 

[Fast Forward]

Yamaha C-80,,,if you can find one

 

[Gepetto]

We should note it as well if it is "old school" and "American designed and built" in this thread. The Yammys are far from that.

I am sure that MacIntosh qualifies for that at least on some of its product lineup.

 

[NavLinear]

I used a Soundcraftsmen preamplifier/equalizer paired up with my PL400 - that made for a very good combination in my opinion. I would normally run the pre without equalization but for some albums and recordings I'd use it to make up for what I felt was lacking in original recording process. I also had a Pioneer SA-9900 and would use it's preamp to drive the PL and this did give me a very good preamp to use as a comparison. Both preamps did a good job and I did like the phono stage of the Pioneer better but the Soundcraftsmen was a bare bones design that didn't "add" anything to the sound - unless of course you used the equalizer. Here's a link to the Soundcraftsmen Reference Site:

http://www.soundcraftsmen.com/

 

[laatsch55]

Had a Kenwood KA-5002 integrated that had pre-outs, outstanding phono section. Didn't keep it long enough to see what it was about.

 

[wattsabundant]

I bought a GAS Thaedra at a public auction a few years ago. The build quality far exceeded anything I have ever seen. The regulated power supplies ran hot and the electrolytics had the heat shrink sleeve split from the heat. I sold it before I had a chance to really listen to it.

 

[laatsch55]

With a 700n you almost get by with a passive. What about the IC 150 Joe??

 

[Gepetto]

IC150 looks great but that is where it ends. It was one of the early experiments with using integrated circuit op amps that did not go off as planned with the listening public which goes in the negative column.

I have repaired one for a friend and the build quality is phenomenal, like other Crown gear. Even uses real FR4 printed circuit boards instead of that cheap paper phenolic crap that the Japanese manufacturers use. All of that goes in the plus column.

 

[laatsch55]

Was it an LF-351??

 

[Gepetto]

I will have to check Lee, I do not think it was that modern.

 

[orange]

I had a Soundcraftsmen RP-2014 and sold it a couple-three years ago...did I screw up? Got it for $10 originally as well.

Yeah, I screwed up.

 

[dingus]

Yamaha C-2x. Expensive and hard to find but worth it.

i've got a C-2a, though not quite as nice as the C-2x, its still a very good sounding pre-amp.

 

[Gepetto]

Yeah I love my C-2a as well. Industrial strength preamp.

 

[Bob Boyer]

My Counterpoint 5000 from days of yore was (and still is) pretty phenomenal with the right upgrades. I heard the other day that Mike Elliott was out of the business with serious health issues, so mods and upgrades are no longer for these beasts. But they were the best of the best for my money.

 

[Elite-ist]

My Counterpoint 5000 from days of yore was (and still is) pretty phenomenal with the right upgrades. I heard the other day that Mike Elliott was out of the business with serious health issues, so mods and upgrades are no longer for these beasts. But they were the best of the best for my money.

Bob: First I had heard of that model of preamplifier, so I looked it up and found the site delving in all the upgrades. Did you upgrade yours?

 

[Ken.nelson0317]

I'm currently using a Marantz 3300. I have been quite pleased with it.

 

[pennysdad]

IC150 looks great but that is where it ends. It was one of the early experiments with using integrated circuit op amps that did not go off as planned with the listening public which goes in the negative column.

I have repaired one for a friend and the build quality is phenomenal, like other Crown gear. Even uses real FR4 printed circuit boards instead of that cheap paper phenolic crap that the Japanese manufacturers use. All of that goes in the plus column.

I have one.
Joe, would it help if I was to replace the op amps with Burr Brown?