A preamplifier is like a friend shaking hands with both sides of a system............ Commercial preamplifiers are mostly made to compensate for the specific amplifier combo of the brand.......... A good premplifier or the right one in your system will translate / preserve or even improve the energy /soul of the music ...................... The quality /nature of the connectors will be and play a crucial element in the perceived results..............it can ruin a good combination or bring it to life .........; The best preamplifier should no preamplifier ..................listening and connecting to music tells you mostly it's better with the right one............ The simpler and fewer the concept of a circuitry /components of an amplifier stage will be MORE reveiling of ANY component used ....................good or bad .............! Simplicity is the most difficult .....................complexity is the most leveling of the results...............from low level hifi till very high end.....................it's controled like a horse in the arena to the show conceiled by the applauding audience ............and versus the natural beauty of horses running in the wild...................wild horses do NOT need trimming of the hoofs the care of the expert HORSE(WO)MAN.................AND SPECIALIZED VETS ! Preamplifiers are maybe the most rewarding compo,ent in your system to BUILD YOURSELF .............the better your power supply the better the same simple circuit will make your music set up sing for you ........ Start building and leaening how to make it even better than good , you DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ENGINEER , you will be free to experience and learn witout being tied or limited by the dogma of the expert schooling ! If you do not believe it go to have a look on what Sakuma did and some others ...............Hiraga , Quortrup and many others Amthough I am a tube man , I liked very much the older preamplifiers from YBA .............they worked great with tube amplifiers and other decent amplifiers ............. Do have confidence in yourself , your ears , your soul and the love of music will tell you if you are on the right way .... You like music ...................you like horses ua-cam.com/video/G7lpkPlTe78/v-deo.html
@@skyblinked I don't know the ^specific model .....................but I used in the past the preamp section of a vintage Marantz 1O60 with great satisfaction..............maybe it's the same circuit board in your model ...you can check it out. ( P XXX ) Still have the Marantz................ Only if you feel the need ........to change or explore new combinations ....
@@frankgeeraerts6243Tubes to me feel like an extension of what makes us human. I wonder what you think about this, but for preamps, I'm considering to ditch them, mod my sources to output perhaps as much 15-30V rms all tube driven, maybe even transformer coupled (I've got several LL2774 lying around that could go 13.6:1 - 13.6:4). 0.5V-2V seems just plain heavily compromised way to drive a tube amp, and very sensitive to interference.
@@EduardBroekman Hello Eduard , Transformer coupled ( quality ) ...........is almost everytime good practice.... But it's not question of only voltage , it's in fact a question of energy ............... Lundahl still stands for quality .......... One can change the input of the first amplifier stage to behave like a preamplifier input , more gain and better impedance matching with a source. Enough output voltage of a source and suffisant voltage sensitivity of the amplifier tells NOT the whole story ! In some cases it DOES .......... Remember the use of moving coil cartridges , especialy the lower output ones ............it lacks the necessary voltage to be used by most of the regular RIAA phono input , ....So most commercial amplifiers or dedicated pre pre stages for MC cartridges amplify the voltage to a usefull level..........often together with a wide choice off impedance matching selections...........etc. BUT...............in reality besides the low voltages generated , most MC cartridges do NOT lack energy !!!!!!!!!!!! So the most logical solution shouldbe in most cases................a transformation V/I.............. I do have a full class A double mono MC amplifier , double power supply and build like a tank , weights more than many amplifiers and runs very hot ( C17 Accuphase ).......................but my soul jumps up when I use my silver winded and vintage MC MITCHELL COTTER MK 2 transformer....................the tonal quality and coherence , not only a soundstage but also with a floor and a ceiling ................and the impression of the real world is surrounding you ..... What can I say ?..................everything is in experience everything in a given system , the one that gives you the most rewarding music experience is the one for you. All other is a guidance to live the passion.................or the misguiding as coins have two sides. Have a nice day , your first name remembers me of my first friend when I was 60 years younger . It's following the road that is an experience of life............ rather than the destination .
@@frankgeeraerts6243 I enjoy your near poetic replies, Frank. Regarding energy - true true - mmm ... this needs a bit more thought on my part with driving tubes, doing volume control in a 'whole systems' type of view. I see a wisdom in choosing the right tool for the job and running a nice silver transformer passive is outdoing an over-the-top engineered MC amp. You strike me as Belgian in approach.. so perhaps that choice was predetermined - really :) As for passion, I tend to sniff it a mile away if 'something' is there. Strangely perhaps, the Lundahls are more about doing nothing wrong rather than impassioning me,. I do tend to run 100% transformer coupled with low impedance tubes about everywhere if I can - and then the Lundahls end up being very transparent of changes. Supply and quality is highly reliable (I buy direct now). Speaking of journeys, I've still got quite a path to go, but recently my VOL < DIY 6P43P Sakuma < Kenwood 7010 TT started engaging me in way that is starting to guide itself - I suddenly understood I will also optimise this, rather than try 100s of things. But I've got blind spots everywhere so it's good to hear from you and others (inc Janos) that walked a similar path / follow their heart instead of reviews or 'tech'. I'm a weird combo of a lot of rationality yet led by intuition and complete non-rational observation, experiments - and then if needed, catch up on the physics/maths afterwards once it has context. As for crossing paths with 'Franks' - I had a friend Frank from grade 1-4, his family ran a tulip bulb farm in the Noord Holland... but I'm nearly a decade away from being 60, so I'm presuming he wasn't you.
Very very nice comments in the video. Its all about treatment of the analog signal. the analog signal comes into the preamp scene and the system needs to electronically transfer it to the amplifier. The incredibly detailed individual frequency waves received by the preamp are very quickly responded to in order to process all the nuances of sound pressure changes, ie. Natural sound versus electrical replication of sound. Capacitors Store energy for quick reaction to changes in Sonic waves as contained within the analog signal. Do a better job, it will sound better. And then the results of a preampliers involvement are amplified when the signal reaches the amplifier.
Many thanks for this clarification, Janos! After seeing a good number of your videos I have come to expect some spot-on metaphors from you, but this one was particularly effective :)
That was succinctly, clearly and accurately described. I use a Supratek Cortese valve pre, mainly for the MC phono. In general I have solid state amps (not perfect, but I live in a hot climate in Queensland Australia) and I sometimes hook in the valve pre to add analogue richness to the sound. In summer, I have lately been mainly using an old Lux L308 integrated with either its own MM stage, or an Aqvox phono 2ci for MC. I guess the preamp stage inside any quality integrated unit should have compatibility built in. I have played around hooking DACS and phono stages straight to power amps and sometimes find an improvement over a preamp bridge, but not always, of course.
Every integrated amplifier, stereo receiver and AV Receiver has a built in preamplifier. Power amps can receive the signal from a source with a 2V output but in effect that's just placing the preamplification stage in another box.
Exactly! The driving force today (with respect to sound) to separate the two is to give each its own dedicated power supply - otherwise placing it in a single chassis makes for a very big unit.
Exactly... and such an agreement to cut out the middleman can happen at the home field, (aka one's own system), where we know both parties (sources and amplifier), and can optimize the handshake by fine-tuning the interface: adjusting the impedances, gain structure, current drive, volume control mechanism...
All that middleman talk made me remember an old rap song I hadn't listened to for a while only when im taking pics im the middleman - taste by tyga ( totally different kind of music give it a chance u might like it )
Hope I’m not rehashing something but how can one not inc a preamp if your amp doesn’t have a preamp section? Do you use a step up transformer straight into the amp? Wouldn’t running a pickup straight into a power amp under power it causing damage?
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
A preamplifier is like a friend shaking hands with both sides of a system............
Commercial preamplifiers are mostly made to compensate for the specific amplifier combo of the brand..........
A good premplifier or the right one in your system will translate / preserve or even improve the energy /soul
of the music ......................
The quality /nature of the connectors will be and play a crucial element in the perceived results..............it can ruin a good combination or bring it to life .........;
The best preamplifier should no preamplifier ..................listening and connecting to music tells you mostly it's better with the right one............
The simpler and fewer the concept of a circuitry /components of an amplifier stage will be MORE reveiling of ANY component used ....................good or bad .............!
Simplicity is the most difficult .....................complexity is the most leveling of the results...............from low level hifi till very high end.....................it's controled like a horse in the arena to the show conceiled by the applauding audience ............and versus the natural beauty of horses running in the wild...................wild horses do NOT need trimming of the hoofs the care of the expert
HORSE(WO)MAN.................AND SPECIALIZED VETS !
Preamplifiers are maybe the most rewarding compo,ent in your system to BUILD YOURSELF .............the better your power supply the better the same simple circuit will make your music set up sing for you ........
Start building and leaening how to make it even better than good , you DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ENGINEER , you will be free to experience and learn witout being tied or limited by the dogma of the expert schooling !
If you do not believe it go to have a look on what Sakuma did and some others ...............Hiraga , Quortrup and many others
Amthough I am a tube man , I liked very much the older preamplifiers from YBA .............they worked great with tube amplifiers and other decent amplifiers .............
Do have confidence in yourself , your ears , your soul and the love of music will tell you if you are on the right way ....
You like music ...................you like horses
ua-cam.com/video/G7lpkPlTe78/v-deo.html
I have a marantz 4270 connected to acoustic research AR12. Should i go for a vintage marantz preamp ? Would it help, or leave the wild horse alone ?
@@skyblinked I don't know the ^specific model .....................but I used in the past the preamp section of a vintage Marantz 1O60 with great satisfaction..............maybe it's the same circuit board in your model ...you can check it out. ( P XXX )
Still have the Marantz................
Only if you feel the need ........to change or explore new combinations ....
@@frankgeeraerts6243Tubes to me feel like an extension of what makes us human. I wonder what you think about this, but for preamps, I'm considering to ditch them, mod my sources to output perhaps as much 15-30V rms all tube driven, maybe even transformer coupled (I've got several LL2774 lying around that could go 13.6:1 - 13.6:4). 0.5V-2V seems just plain heavily compromised way to drive a tube amp, and very sensitive to interference.
@@EduardBroekman
Hello Eduard ,
Transformer coupled ( quality ) ...........is almost everytime good practice....
But it's not question of only voltage , it's in fact a question of energy ...............
Lundahl still stands for quality ..........
One can change the input of the first amplifier stage to behave like a preamplifier input , more gain and better impedance matching with a source.
Enough output voltage of a source and suffisant voltage sensitivity of the amplifier tells NOT the whole story !
In some cases it DOES ..........
Remember the use of moving coil cartridges , especialy the lower output ones ............it lacks the necessary voltage to be used by most of the regular RIAA phono input , ....So most commercial amplifiers or dedicated pre pre stages for MC cartridges amplify the voltage to a usefull level..........often together with a wide choice off impedance matching selections...........etc.
BUT...............in reality besides the low voltages generated , most MC cartridges do NOT lack energy !!!!!!!!!!!!
So the most logical solution shouldbe in most cases................a transformation V/I..............
I do have a full class A double mono MC amplifier , double power supply and build like a tank , weights more than many amplifiers and runs very hot ( C17 Accuphase ).......................but my soul jumps up when I use my silver winded and vintage MC MITCHELL COTTER MK 2 transformer....................the tonal quality and coherence , not only a soundstage but also with a floor and a ceiling ................and the impression of the real world is surrounding you .....
What can I say ?..................everything is in experience everything in a given system , the one that gives you the most rewarding music experience is the one for you.
All other is a guidance to live the passion.................or the misguiding as coins have two sides.
Have a nice day , your first name remembers me of my first friend when I was 60 years younger .
It's following the road that is an experience of life............ rather than the destination .
@@frankgeeraerts6243 I enjoy your near poetic replies, Frank. Regarding energy - true true - mmm ... this needs a bit more thought on my part with driving tubes, doing volume control in a 'whole systems' type of view. I see a wisdom in choosing the right tool for the job and running a nice silver transformer passive is outdoing an over-the-top engineered MC amp. You strike me as Belgian in approach.. so perhaps that choice was predetermined - really :) As for passion, I tend to sniff it a mile away if 'something' is there. Strangely perhaps, the Lundahls are more about doing nothing wrong rather than impassioning me,. I do tend to run 100% transformer coupled with low impedance tubes about everywhere if I can - and then the Lundahls end up being very transparent of changes. Supply and quality is highly reliable (I buy direct now). Speaking of journeys, I've still got quite a path to go, but recently my VOL < DIY 6P43P Sakuma < Kenwood 7010 TT started engaging me in way that is starting to guide itself - I suddenly understood I will also optimise this, rather than try 100s of things. But I've got blind spots everywhere so it's good to hear from you and others (inc Janos) that walked a similar path / follow their heart instead of reviews or 'tech'. I'm a weird combo of a lot of rationality yet led by intuition and complete non-rational observation, experiments - and then if needed, catch up on the physics/maths afterwards once it has context. As for crossing paths with 'Franks' - I had a friend Frank from grade 1-4, his family ran a tulip bulb farm in the Noord Holland... but I'm nearly a decade away from being 60, so I'm presuming he wasn't you.
Very very nice comments in the video.
Its all about treatment of the analog signal. the analog signal comes into the preamp scene and the system needs to electronically transfer it to the amplifier. The incredibly detailed individual frequency waves received by the preamp are very quickly responded to in order to process all the nuances of sound pressure changes, ie. Natural sound versus electrical replication of sound. Capacitors Store energy for quick reaction to changes in Sonic waves as contained within the analog signal. Do a better job, it will sound better. And then the results of a preampliers involvement are amplified when the signal reaches the amplifier.
Neat summary, thank you! Indeed, I am very happy with the comments. The comments section starts to feel more and more as a work group. :)
You're a man and you're puzzling it out !!!!!!!!!!
Many thanks for this clarification, Janos! After seeing a good number of your videos I have come to expect some spot-on metaphors from you, but this one was particularly effective :)
Grazie! ; )
Yes indeed--an excellent metaphor!
That was succinctly, clearly and accurately described. I use a Supratek Cortese valve pre, mainly for the MC phono. In general I have solid state amps (not perfect, but I live in a hot climate in Queensland Australia) and I sometimes hook in the valve pre to add analogue richness to the sound. In summer, I have lately been mainly using an old Lux L308 integrated with either its own MM stage, or an Aqvox phono 2ci for MC. I guess the preamp stage inside any quality integrated unit should have compatibility built in. I have played around hooking DACS and phono stages straight to power amps and sometimes find an improvement over a preamp bridge, but not always, of course.
Every integrated amplifier, stereo receiver and AV Receiver has a built in preamplifier. Power amps can receive the signal from a source with a 2V output but in effect that's just placing the preamplification stage in another box.
Exactly! The driving force today (with respect to sound) to separate the two is to give each its own dedicated power supply - otherwise placing it in a single chassis makes for a very big unit.
Absolutely right
All trading agreements are based on a “level playing field” in order to eliminate the middle Mann, duty’s, custom …
Exactly... and such an agreement to cut out the middleman can happen at the home field, (aka one's own system), where we know both parties (sources and amplifier), and can optimize the handshake by fine-tuning the interface: adjusting the impedances, gain structure, current drive, volume control mechanism...
All that middleman talk made me remember an old rap song I hadn't listened to for a while
only when im taking pics im the middleman
- taste by tyga ( totally different kind of music give it a chance u might like it )
The only issue I have with good preamps is the price!
Schiit Audio has very reasonable prices. Musical Paradise as well.
Hope I’m not rehashing something but how can one not inc a preamp if your amp doesn’t have a preamp section? Do you use a step up transformer straight into the amp? Wouldn’t running a pickup straight into a power amp under power it causing damage?