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Which is more important: preamp or power amp?

post #1 of 25
5/28/09 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
Which is more important: preamp or power amp?
i.e. if I had a budget of $1000 (for example) how would I split it between pre-amp and power amp?

I'm sure this question has been asked many times but searching doesn't seem to get me any definitive answers
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post #2 of 25
5/28/09 at 7:40am
Your not going to get any definitive answers. Everybody has had different experiences. I have found if you match your amp to your speakers and treat them pretty much as partners, then go from there and add a preamp whos output is good with them amp, you will do pretty good. As far as effecting the overall sound I find the preamp can make the most difference. So I would work backwards from the speakers. Pick your speakers and an amp that have had good results (history) together and then start looking for a preamp.
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post #3 of 25
5/28/09 at 7:44am
Quote:
I find the preamp can make the most difference.
I'd agree with that also. I had two pre-power setup's, in slightly different price bands. Most noticeable improvement using the higher quality pre, lower quality power, rather than lower quality pre, higher quality power where I picked out the definiencies of the lower pre.
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post #4 of 25
5/28/09 at 7:58am
Hard to say, depending on equiments, what speakers you are using and your room size. You can get low cost high preformance pre-amp that do just fine with higher cost power amp. And it also depending on whether you go for mono blocks (or large amp), in which case the power amps is more likely to cost more than the pre-amp.
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post #5 of 25
5/28/09 at 5:49pm
All the previous posters make good points. I've had many pre and power combinations in all but the most expensive price ranges over the last 35 years. Component matching is very important.
That being said, I've also found the preamp to make the most dramatic difference between the two. In addition, whatever is lost at the preamp stage can't be made up by the amp. While the contribution of the amp is just as important, the differences between amps, to my ears, are more subtle.
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post #6 of 25
5/30/09 at 6:06pm
After going through a lot of power amps, transistor, tube, single-ended, push-pull, class A, class B, I never entered the High End until I bought a really good preamp, first a Music Reference, and currently a Meridian 201. The power amp mated to it, and I try think of the power amp as merely the interface between the preamp and the speaker, is a Dyna 35 [my second], but there are others I would be happy with.

Here's a crazy idea: take your posited $1000, buy a $950 preamp, and buy used to make the dollars go further, and spend the remainder on a T-amp.

Laz
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post #7 of 25
5/30/09 at 8:08pm
The answer could be power amp for me(espeacially in this digital age) . Most people don't have any analog source and input switching is not too important anymore. I had a DAC going straight to power amps in a few different systems with no pre amp and got good results. Also, power amps (along with speakers) are affected by technology changes much less than pre amps.
In the past, I would spend a lot more to get the power amps I wanted and paired that with a lower grade pre amp. When I was ready to upgrade I just sold the pre amp and went up to the better one.
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post #8 of 25
5/30/09 at 8:12pm
G I G O.

Go with a good source and let if feed a great signal to your power amp.
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post #9 of 25
5/30/09 at 9:22pm
Quote:
DAC going straight to power amps in a few different systems with no pre amp and got good results
Bang?
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post #10 of 25
5/30/09 at 9:29pm
I say power-amp. A speaker is a far more complex load to drive than a fixed resistance (which is what a preamp drives). Power output could be a big concern with power amps depending on your speakers and environment. Power output is never a concern with preamps, though gain might be.

The poweramp is typically going to be a bigger safety concern for your speakers than the preamp. I like transformer-coupled tube amps for this reason (no DC offset, usually softer clipping), though good iron can be expensive - another reason to put more into the power amp IMO. Pairing up a SS pre with tube power, I feel better about the risks involved to my not-inexpensive speakers.

Sure, there can be sonic differences between preamps, but I've heard relatively low-cost solid state preamps that are so neutral and non-damaging to the sound, that for my needs I came to the conclusion: why bother with more?

Current main setup here has 68% of total cost sunk in the speakers, 9% in power amp (though I do have a couple of nice additional amps), 22% in turntable & cart, and 1.5% in the preamp I'd say that breakdown matches up quite nicely with the difficulty I experienced finding components of each type that satisfied my sonic preferences. The speakers should be a HUGE concern. The next thing I'd consider investing more in is the cartridge.
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post #11 of 25
5/30/09 at 10:11pm
I'm a huge proponent of:

1. Buy the biggest amp you can afford (biggest, not necessarily best). For example, Behringer a500 is quite a bit of power for most purposes, and is < $300
2. Get a source/preamp that allows you to use balanced interconnects.

My reasoning:

-All amps, when run within operating limits (well before clipping, etc), are going to sound pretty much the same.
-Using balanced interconnects lets you buy cheaper cables and still get quality ($10-20 per interconnect is going to get you 90%+ of the way there in terms of performance).
-The preamp/sources are going to make the most difference, and TYPICALLY a preamp that has balanced connections is going to be higher end than one without, so you get "free quality" by taking this route.

More specifically, with $1000, I'd get a Behringer a500, $600-$650 on a preamp (assuming you already have a source here), and leave the rest for cables/taxes/shipping (remember, by going balanced you can use cheaper cables).

This is my experience, yours may differ. This is the philosophy I take towards system development. Your philosophy might be different. If anybody has serious problems with mine, I'd be curious to see how they critique it (and if possible provide evidence to support that it's wrong).
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post #12 of 25
5/30/09 at 10:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcf View Post
I had a DAC going straight to power amps in a few different systems with no pre amp and got good results.
I've done that too - the best preamp is none at all or a passive pre. On the other hand, I still run a turntable and a tapedeck, so I need a pre.

Laz
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post #13 of 25
5/30/09 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus Short View Post
I've done that too - the best preamp is none at all or a passive pre. On the other hand, I still run a turntable and a tapedeck, so I need a pre.

Laz
We have the same problems mate!
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post #14 of 25
5/30/09 at 10:42pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the answers. As you can expect I'm more confused than ever The good news is that I already have a GS-X which should be a pretty decent preamp so it's just a matter of finding speakers and a poweramp.

Quote:
Originally Posted by iriverdude View Post
Bang?
e.g. Endler Audio: Stepped Attenuators, Behringer 2496 Mods, Speaker Cables and Interconnects, Speakers
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post #15 of 25
5/30/09 at 10:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus Short View Post
I've done that too - the best preamp is none at all or a passive pre. On the other hand, I still run a turntable and a tapedeck, so I need a pre.

Laz

I have not had any luck running strait from DAC, CDP, or with the Placette Passive, or Creek passive. i have found the sound to flat as compared to an active preamp on every occasion.
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