Vintage HiFi Audio Forum
Buy Sell Trade Audio Equipment => Home Audio Equipment in the Burgh => Topic started by: OldiesButGoodies on February 23, 2013, 09:38:13 AM
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I was using an Emotiva USP-1 as my pre. It was a nice piece - home theater pass thru and a good phono stage with a built-in moving coil step up transformer. Sounded a bit better than an AV receiver as pre. But Emotiva ticked me off by dropping the price $75 after I bought it and refusing to apply the discount to my purchase. So I returned it - it was still within the 30 day return period.
Since I am starting the search again, I am interested in a pre with phono stage and tone controls. I may end up getting an Emotiva XPS-1 (I am a masochist I guess), but testing the waters here to see if anyone has a spare C19 or similar.
PM me if you do!
Have a great weekend... I am hitting Jerry's Records later today, that is my treat for the weekend.
OBG
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I have a Tandberg 3008a, but I was wanting to sell it as a pair with the Tandberg 3006a amplifier. They are currently at the shop, as they were being cleaned.
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If you can find one for a good price - I loved my Marantz SC-11S1. It has a great phono stage (mm and mc), balanced connections, headphone amp and is built like a brick you know what. Very warm sounding but plenty of detail that seems to pair well with a lot of things. Only thing lacking are tone controls.
I ended up switching it out and getting the integrated amp version, the marantz pm15s1, but I honestly think it sounds better in preamp mode with my old b&k st202 as an amp. The pm15s1 does have tone controls and I actually like using them. It still sounds great as an integrated amp - but just a little quicker and more detailed as a separate. Also, I got this for cheaper than I sold the SC-11S1, and it seems to fly under the radar a little.
Just something else to think of - good luck on the search
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ok thks for the advice will look into it.
the hunt is fun - so I am not sweating using the receiver as a pre for a while...
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Purchased a Parasound 2100 preamp today:
http://www.parasound.com/nc/2100.php (http://www.parasound.com/nc/2100.php)
Seems to have everything I need and functionality-wise including tone control, and has design advantages over the Emotiva (Ex. goes into HT bypass mode automatically when off). Parasound also makes decent phono stages so I am hopeful that the one in this pre will kick ass. Will report when I get it.
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Congratulations! Can't wait for you to tell us how it sounds. Should I assume you will not want the Tandberg equipment? Planning on listing it on ePay on Wednesday.
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(Ex. goes into HT bypass mode automatically when off).
What does this mean?
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in my set up i use the eq for home theater and two-channel audio. the Parasound will only do its thing for 2 channel audio - vinyl, rtr, CD. when off it becomes a invisible to the av receiver upstream, which sends its left and right front signals through it to get to the power amps.
so it meant I do not have to turn on and press the HT bypass button on the Parasound to use the home theater, just leave that pre off.
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So you have your two channel and your HT in the same room? I think I get it now.
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Yes. I have to move the Magnepans into two-channel listening position when I do that to form the triangle, otherwise they are in their Dolby spot.