Hello
There is lot of high-end line preamps that we can diy.
For me a detail sound, wide and deep sound-stage are a must.
Which high-end line preamps that we can diy would sound best ?
Thank
Bye
Gaetan
There is lot of high-end line preamps that we can diy.
For me a detail sound, wide and deep sound-stage are a must.
Which high-end line preamps that we can diy would sound best ?
Thank
Bye
Gaetan
Most should sound perfect and by definition, exactly the same, as in doing nothing to sound.
A piece of wire with gain.
Detailed sound?, it will be as detailed as before.
Wide and deep soundstage?
Any competent Line Preamp does not affect that.
It will certainly not "enhance" or "improve" that, for which you would need a sophisticated processor, doing clever Psychoacoustics tricks.
If you want a wide soundstage you'll need to process the signal, if you want the exact same sound stage as went into the preamp, standard circuitry will be fine. You can modify soundstage through feeding each channel into the other at various levels and phases.
There is no depth information in a stereo signal as such, but there is reverberation time - this can also be monkeyed with by adding more reverb.
With binaural recording its possible to capture the spatial perception due to ear shape, but you need to playback with headphones for the full effect - this just requires a straight playback response without processing,
Is that what you meant? Or are you just wanting accurate reproduction of the signals with volume control (balance? tone/eq?)
There is no depth information in a stereo signal as such, but there is reverberation time - this can also be monkeyed with by adding more reverb.
With binaural recording its possible to capture the spatial perception due to ear shape, but you need to playback with headphones for the full effect - this just requires a straight playback response without processing,
Is that what you meant? Or are you just wanting accurate reproduction of the signals with volume control (balance? tone/eq?)
How much gain/attenuation do you need? What do you need to drive?
If you want to play around without too much effort you could build a power supply and get the M2 kit from the diyaudio store and build the different input buffers and check what you like best.
If you want to play around without too much effort you could build a power supply and get the M2 kit from the diyaudio store and build the different input buffers and check what you like best.
How serious is this answer Ray?
For a CD source and a power amp, is it all that’s required?
Technically yes. Most modern dacs have a pretty good digital attenuator which coupled with a reasonable output stage makes even the 10k box unnecessary.
Interestingly, the vast majority of audiophiles, even when using something like a MSB Select 2 as a source still prefer an active line stage to direct connection. It is one of the big mysteries in audio, without any sensible technical explanation.
Hello
Yes, a line preamp should be neutral like a wire with gain, but some do have colorations or they kill the soundstage, and using a passive preamp bring the problem of impedance matching.
For years, I've used passives preamps, but I want to move to an active line preamp of line buffer.
I don't need lot of gain, how about the Pass Lab B1 buffer preamp ? (very easy to diy).
I use a Adcom GCD-600 cd player with a TDA1541A dac inside and I've done a mod with a better clock and OPA627 for the output op-amps.
Bye
Gaetan
Yes, a line preamp should be neutral like a wire with gain, but some do have colorations or they kill the soundstage, and using a passive preamp bring the problem of impedance matching.
For years, I've used passives preamps, but I want to move to an active line preamp of line buffer.
I don't need lot of gain, how about the Pass Lab B1 buffer preamp ? (very easy to diy).
I use a Adcom GCD-600 cd player with a TDA1541A dac inside and I've done a mod with a better clock and OPA627 for the output op-amps.
Bye
Gaetan
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I knocked up a B1 on Vero to tide me over. Does what it says on the tin. Decomissioned now as I've gone to a different architecture.
Very serious, that's all you need for CDs. Keep the cables to the amplifier short.
Or you can install the pot inside the power amplifier, which is even better,
and eliminates the extra cable, jacks, and wiring.
For my phono system, I use a 34dB phono stage, 10k switched shunt resistor volume control,
a tube amplifier, and LS3/5As. Even with this system I still have enough volume.
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I've found line stages for the most part to be quite bad, in terms of the output sounding different from the input.
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you found Wayne's line stage quite bad rayma?
what about jc2? bad too?
BA3FA? bad?
that's quite bad
or perhaps something else is bad? execution?
what about jc2? bad too?
BA3FA? bad?
that's quite bad
or perhaps something else is bad? execution?
In terms of the output sounding different from the input; there should not be an audible difference.
Try it sometime with a bypass test, you'll be surprised. Certainly some must prefer the output "version"
of the input or the preamps would not sell, but there should not be a difference.
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I have limited understanding of these things. But in olden days wasn't A buffer -to- preamp -to- power amp defacto standard ? Can we assume that with modern devices and circuit design the need for buffer and preamp is no longer required? I see lots of DIY amplifier used without preamp. Do they follow the buffer and preamp requirement like maximum power transfer and impedance matching ?
Thanks and regards.
Thanks and regards.
Most recent preamps have a signal routing of source to selector switch to volume control to line stage to power amp.
An input buffer can be overloaded, and is unnecessary. Impedance matching and maximum power transfer do not apply
to preamps (or even ss power amps), since normally they are in voltage mode, where the source z << load z.
An input buffer can be overloaded, and is unnecessary. Impedance matching and maximum power transfer do not apply
to preamps (or even ss power amps), since normally they are in voltage mode, where the source z << load z.
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Agree. The vast majority of commercial line stages are just atrocious with regards to transparency. Yet, many users prefer sacrificing a large chunk of transparency against more listenable sound.
Is it the added noise and distortion that makes it more listenable? Is it the filtering action with digital sources? Hard to say.
What you are describing in your system is the perfect way to apply passive attenuation without any penalties: a bandwidth limited source into a high impedance amp.
Once you move to transistors and add an RF polluting digital source things become more murky. The passive attenuation often leads to subjectively unsatisfying sound with poor bass, rhythm and dynamics.
No idea about JC2. Years ago built a UGS which was okayish but could not seriously compare to my differential, transformer coupled valve pre. More recently tried a BA3 and did not like it much at all. Despite the absence of nfb it retained a lot of the sound character i associate with the F5.
Strange as it may sound a good opamp with a really great PS (passive with chokes) comes closer to my perceived ideal.
Depending on your system and taste there is always a compromise between transparency and other qualities.
Some people prefer the most transparent sound which always comes out of resistive attenuators. Others would rather have magnetics involved with their superior impedance ratios, inherent bandwidth limiting and complex distortion. Yet others will insist on high distortion passive attenuators 🙂
It is weird. And quite impossible to explain.
Agree. It is hard to generalise about power amps as bipolar transistor input stages have usually less distortion when fed from low impedance sources.
Otoh, years ago Mark Levinson made a big point of a buffered preamp input with a mega ohm input impedance.
At the same time several manufacturers and at least one diyaudio member promote the concept of a very low power amp input impedance (50R). The idea, i guess, being that dielectric effects in the connecting cables are reduced when the cable works in current, rather than voltage mode.