[MorbidToaster]

So I've been pretty dead set on a Cavalli LF for quite some time but after spending some time with nicer speakers I'm feeling the itch to have something that will act as a pre-amp as well.
 
I could go an integrated set up for speakers but being a tweaker I dislike the idea of having my Pre amp and my Power amp in one unit. 
 
Second reason for seeking this function is of course funds. I'm willing to spend but my ideal set up at the moment (TOTL for me for years to come I'd hope) would run around 10 grand (including the parts of it I already own) and I simply can't do that right now. 
 
Note that the Preamp section of the amp doesn't have to be top notch. I'd plan on replacing it way down the line. I'm mainly looking for a fantastic Headamp with the Preamp function.
 
I'll be pushing LCD 2s and (maybe) LCD 3s down the line. Headphone SQ is the main concern. Thanks for your suggestions. 
 
EDIT: tl;dr I want a TOTL headamp with a decent Pre function. Does it exist?

 

[googleli]

Accuphase flagship pre-amplifier C-3800. I heard it with the LCD2 (and Esoteric K-01) once. Nothing gave me that, not even my Leben. The two-hour audition experience is still unforgottable to me up till now. And I still didn't have the SR009 or LCD3 when I listened to that setup - that says a lot. I know this word has been used many times on Head-fi, but that experience was truly "sublime".
 
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

God I nearly had a heart attack. I knew I was afraid with good reason of a suggestion from you. 

 
Quote:

Accuphase flagship pre-amplifier C-3800. I heard it with the LCD2 (and Esoteric K-01) once. Nothing gave me that, not even my Leben. The two-hour audition experience is still unforgottable to me up till now. And I still didn't have the SR009 or LCD3 when I listened to that setup - that says a lot. I know this word has been used many times on Head-fi, but that experience was truly "sublime".
 
 

 
 

 

[googleli]

Don't be afraid, my friend. Just go ahead and try it.
You will be mesmerized.  
 
 
 
Quote:

God I nearly had a heart attack. I knew I was afraid with good reason of a suggestion from you. 

 


 
 

 

 

[MorbidToaster]

It's hard enough having so many speakers to choose from. Can't go too overboard.
 
Quote:

Don't be afraid, my friend. Just go ahead and try it.
You will be mesmerized.  

 
 

 

[Radio_head]

BA has a preamp.  And its free of weird emoticons too.  All for $700 more than an LF.  

 

[googleli]

No offence, but outside of headphones and headphone amps, I don't think any gear from head-fi brands can be considered hi-end (as the title suggests). If Morbid is looking for a good headamp with mediocre preamp function, the Head-fi brands may still hold good though.
 

 

[Elysian]

Balancing Act.  Do it!
 
Haven't heard it yet, but the Manley Neo-Classic 300B preamp might be worth investigating, too.
 
The Balancing Act does magical things with dynamic headphones:
 
Quote:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/eddiecurrent3/2.html
"The problem with DHTs in low-level applications is hum from the AC heater. If DC is used the hum vanishes but now the electrons migrate to one side of the heater. This is sonically not too bad if the grid is minus 60 volts or more. In a headphone or line-level amp however there is no good reason to operate the tube at max plate voltage and current. In fact the sweet spot is at about 1/3rd the max ratings. This means that the grid voltage is much lower. Now the tube sounds odd because the electron cloud is less likely to cover the grid smoothly. Some have tried to use a heater current source rather than DC voltage source. They claim it makes a difference. In my opinion that's because the higher source resistance of the current source adds a level of isolation from the solid-state sound that's induced into the cathode circuit.
 
"I tried AC heating the BA and was immediately impressed by how much deeper and more natural the soundstage became. Of course hum was intolerable now. The solution became high-frequency AC on the heaters. My heater circuit in the external PSU runs off a dedicated 40kHz 18-watt power amp. This feeds two ferrite-core isolation transformers which are quad-filler wound so the electrical center on the secondary is absolute. Now we have a perfect electron cloud evenly dispersed like a water sprinkler—back and forth 40.000 times per second—and the signal comes off dead center. The transformers also provide isolation between channels and drive circuit. The heater amp has current limiting to start up very gently. The output tubes are operated much below their rated power to greatly extend tube life. The best-sounding output transformer is the Electra-Print psss. That stands for partial silver-stranded secondary. The transformer's magnetic field changes to electrical current differently into silver than copper."

 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Not a bad suggestion. I always seem to forget EC and feel bad when I do. I would prefer SS but there seems to be so few options I can't discount anything. I haven't heard a single piece of EC gear. Maybe someone will bring to the next meet down here early next year.
 
Quote:

BA has a preamp.  And its free of weird emoticons too.  All for $700 more than an LF.  

 
 

 

[Elysian]

You really owe it to yourself to hear a BA+HD800 with EML 300B solid plate tubes.  It's the first dynamic rig in awhile that caught my attention.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Ship one my way and I'll be sure to consider it.
 
 
Quote:

You really owe it to yourself to hear a BA+HD800 with EML 300B solid plate tubes.  It's the first dynamic rig in awhile that caught my attention.

 
 

 

[Elysian]

Do you guys plan on doing a meet down in Texas anytime soon?  Craig might be willing to ship a Balancing Act and Super 7 for testing.
 
On a more serious note, that's why I bought my Audio Space Reference 2.  I'm very happy using it as a pre before my Woo GES, and the Reference 2 has added a significant amount of bass and soundstaging to my chain.  I'm going to reroll all the tubes again for a second time in a few weeks.  After experimenting with various connections, the WaveLink, DACs, and the preamp, I've discovered how important the signal chain is, even for a headphone setup.  Each adjustment in the system has been very audible to me.  In some ways, I don't really notice the GES anymore, as, like some people describe with speaker systems, whatever changes I make to the source+preamp stage gets amplified significantly by my headphone amp.  The more I tweak things earlier in the chain, the more evident the change is to me.
 
I will eventually transition the Reference 2 out when I move to speakers, as my end-game is speakers, not headphones.  That's not for awhile, though, but I will say you're thinking along the right lines, and an active preamp might make a significant impact on your sound.  It's up to your tastes whether you like it or not, though.  I can see plenty of people preferring no preamp or a passive preamp like the W4S or Placette.

 

[rgs9200m]

Apex Pinnacle performs sonically as maybe one of the top preamps in the world. See the TAS review. You can tube roll the 6NS7 tube to your taste. Truly an awesome sounding preamp.
Actually, Ray's B52 is a mighty nice preamp (& if you pair it with headphones that go well with it like Senn 650s or HD800s you're all set). Tube rolling with good NOS tubes really helps the B52, like some nice Telefunkens.
Both of these have a DACT 23 step gain control, so try to pair it with a not-very-high-gain source and/or similarly compatible amp for best results, but it should be OK.
Arguably, these are just as nice preamps as they are headphone amps.
Talk to Todd at TTVJ about the Pinnacle as a preamp to hear the story behind it, and talk to Ray too about the same thing.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Yes. We've got a lot of people interested (a lot more than last time) and really just need to nail down a time and place now. The interest is definitely there and there's been a huge influx of Texans on Head-fi since our last meet...and Cavalli is here now.
 
Ultimately I'd like the chain for my Headphones and Speakers to be separate except for source (sharing my SA8004 and the DAC of my choosing) but I'd be fine with them sharing a Preamp for awhile if it's good enough for my headphones to last a long time even after I replace the usage of the Preamp. 
 
I may just have to deal with it and pick speakers or headphones to build on from here and eat the 10,000 dollar system just because it's what I'd want. 
 
I'll be buying speakers most likely towards the end of January either way. Then I'll have to weigh which system I want improved first. Headphones or speakers.
 
Quote:

Do you guys plan on doing a meet down in Texas anytime soon?  Craig might be willing to ship a Balancing Act and Super 7 for testing.
 
On a more serious note, that's why I bought my Audio Space Reference 2.  I'm very happy using it as a pre before my Woo GES, and the Reference 2 has added a significant amount of bass and soundstaging to my chain.  I'm going to reroll all the tubes again for a second time in a few weeks.  After experimenting with various connections, the WaveLink, DACs, and the preamp, I've discovered how important the signal chain is, even for a headphone setup.  Each adjustment in the system has been very audible to me.  In some ways, I don't really notice the GES anymore, as, like some people describe with speaker systems, whatever changes I make to the source+preamp stage gets amplified significantly by my headphone amp.  The more I tweak things earlier in the chain, the more evident the change is to me.
 
I will eventually transition the Reference 2 out when I move to speakers, as my end-game is speakers, not headphones.  That's not for awhile, though, but I will say you're thinking along the right lines, and an active preamp might make a significant impact on your sound.  It's up to your taste whether you like it or not, though.  I can see plenty of people referring no preamp or a passive preamp like the W4S or Placette.

 
 

 

[n3rdling]

Why not get a dynahi or b22?  They can actually probably act as an integrated amp for most speakers.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/293593/b22-as-a-preamp#post_3966721