I am trying to find a hiqh quality, balanced pre-amp...

[AudioDoctor]

A pre-amp that is truly balanced, a pre-amp that has a wide range of volume control, and a pre-amp that doesn't reach max output at .6 volts... My DACs output 3V and 4V respectively, in balanced mode.

 

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

[firedog]

1) Schiit Freya S or Freya +

Lots of ins and outs. 2-3 modes. 

Even measures well. Very quiet.

 

2)Benchmark Pre

 Pretty much same as above

 

 

Both measure well and get excellent subjective reviews. Less expensive than much of the competition.

 

 

[GregWormald]

I've just ordered a SimAudio MOON 740P that would seem to fulfil your requirements. (I also wanted some control of the volume that didn't blast my ears at 10 or 15% of the knob's rotation.)

[PavelDosko]

Try Hattor Audio passive preamp Big Hattor , it is very good in my setup - http://www.hattor.com/dualmono_preamp_the_big.html

[R1200CL]

4 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

A pre-amp that is truly balanced

https://www.thetadigital.com/generationviii/
Unfortunately, it contains a DAC as well. You may find a used one as low as 3K. 
 

https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=theta+GENERATION+VIII

 

[AudioDoctor]

12 hours ago, PavelDosko said:

Try Hattor Audio passive preamp Big Hattor , it is very good in my setup - http://www.hattor.com/dualmono_preamp_the_big.html

 

I learned recently that Lampizator uses some of their parts in their own tube active pre-amp. Thanks for the recommendation.

[AudioDoctor]

Here are some I am considering.

 

Pass Labs own XP-12 and XP-22 ( Synergy with the amp and low gain)

 

Lampizator Reference Pre-Amp (will probably have great synergy with my DAC)

 

Either the Ref 6SE or LS28 from ARC (bonus they are very local)

 

 

[mfsoa]

Parasound?  It's fun spending your money.

[GregWormald]

3 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

Here are some I am considering.

 

Pass Labs own XP-12 and XP-22 ( Synergy with the amp and low gain)

 

Lampizator Reference Pre-Amp (will probably have great synergy with my DAC)

 

Either the Ref 6SE or LS28 from ARC (bonus they are very local)

 

 

The XP-12 was my second choice if Simaudio couldn't deliver in a reasonable time frame (There wasn't a 740P in Australia!).

[AudioDoctor]

57 minutes ago, GregWormald said:

The XP-12 was my second choice if Simaudio couldn't deliver in a reasonable time frame (There wasn't a 740P in Australia!).

 

Currently a 4-6 week wait is projected for either the XP-12 or XP-22.

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

On 9/20/2021 at 5:35 AM, AudioDoctor said:

A pre-amp that is truly balanced, a pre-amp that has a wide range of volume control, and a pre-amp that doesn't reach max output at .6 volts... My DACs output 3V and 4V respectively, in balanced mode.

 

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

 

Can you define "high quality"? 🙂

[botrytis]

On 9/19/2021 at 10:35 PM, AudioDoctor said:

A pre-amp that is truly balanced, a pre-amp that has a wide range of volume control, and a pre-amp that doesn't reach max output at .6 volts... My DACs output 3V and 4V respectively, in balanced mode.

 

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

 

 

What about the Rotel Michi P5? Just a thought.

[GregWormald]

11 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

Currently a 4-6 week wait is projected for either the XP-12 or XP-22.

Ha! Funny, there is a XP-12 about a 15 minute drive away.

Of course Australia is a long way from Minnesota!

[mfsoa]

1 hour ago, botrytis said:

What about the Rotel Michi P5

That's what I use, but it has an onboard dac.  Very nice unit, though

[Kal Rubinson]

On 9/20/2021 at 1:33 AM, firedog said:

1) Schiit Freya S or Freya +

Lots of ins and outs. 2-3 modes. 

Even measures well. Very quiet.

 

2)Benchmark Pre

 Pretty much same as above

3) Topping Pre90

With or without the Ext90.

 

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, Kal Rubinson said:

3) Topping Pre90

With or without the Ext90.

 

 

This suggestion surprises me.

[AudioDoctor]

14 hours ago, GregWormald said:

The XP-12 was my second choice if Simaudio couldn't deliver in a reasonable time frame (There wasn't a 740P in Australia!).

 

Why did you choose the SimAudio instead?

[firedog]

3 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

This suggestion surprises me.

It has excellent features, state of the art measurements, and lots of people like it.

[AudioDoctor]

11 minutes ago, firedog said:

It has excellent features, state of the art measurements, and lots of people like it.

 

None of those are compelling reasons, IMO.

[AudioDoctor]

I may even consider a McIntosh C22 if I were able to hear one in my system and liked it.

[AudioDoctor]

Criteria #1 for sound quality...

 

It has to be better than the volume control in the Lampizator Pacific DAC I have.

[Qhwoeprktiyns]

58 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Criteria #1 for sound quality...

 

It has to be better than the volume control in the Lampizator Pacific DAC I have.

 

What's wrong with it?

[Jud]

If budget is no object, whatever Spectral's top of the line is these days.

[AudioDoctor]

28 minutes ago, Jud said:

If budget is no object, whatever Spectral's top of the line is these days.

 

I have been afraid to ask, and budget is a concern to a point. The XP-22 is $9500 and I am not too interested in going much further. And I am also not sure that performance delta over the XP-12 is worth the price delta between the two.

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, hopkins said:

 

What's wrong with it?

 

In my experience, an active pre-amp beats a passive pre-amp / volume control.