lionelag
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Recommended inexpensive preamps?
BillB
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Just sent you a PM regarding a Dynaco PAT-5

mrlowry
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Rotel's entry level preamp, the RC1070 is right around $500 new. I'm sure that there are lots of good used preamps for right around $500. Adcom's preamps with tuners built in tuners are nice. The tuning sections sound pretty good actually. Bear in mind that that remark comes from a tuner perfectionist (I currently own four different analog tuners. A Magnum Dynalab, Sansui, Marantz, and Tandberg.) I believe that the Adcom I owned was a GTP 450. In fact I still own an Adcom, a GFP 750. That model doesn't have a tuner and is probably JUST outside of your stated price range used. It was a Stereophile Class "A" and a Nelson Pass design everything else at the time in the same class was about twice as expensive. I also had a Parasound PHP850, which didn't have a tuner or remote but the phono state was nice. Those are pretty inexpensive on the used market.

lionelag
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Quote:
Rotel's entry level preamp, the RC1070 is right around $500 new. I'm sure that there are lots of good used preamps for right around $500. Adcom's preamps with tuners built in tuners are nice. The tuning sections sound pretty good actually. Bear in mind that that remark comes from a tuner perfectionist (I currently own four different analog tuners. A Magnum Dynalab, Sansui, Marantz, and Tandberg.)

Good to hear that they sound good-- I'm always halfway suspicious of digital tuners. I never feel like they're any good at locking on weak FM signals. Are the Adcoms any good at that? (One of my New Year's resolutions for this year is to get WPRB's signal, in stereo, in my listening room, without resorting to the 160bps internet feed. I'd guess it's 45 miles, as the crow flies, and 'PRB claims 14,000 watts. Shouldn't be as hard as it is. I need freeform radio!)

mrlowry
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I am certainly an analog tuner devotee in the end but good ones are expensive, even the vintage ones can be a nightmare if problems develop. When I had the Adcom I lived only a few miles away from the broadcast equipment for all of my favorite stations so I can't comment on it's ability to pick up weak stations. I also think that it had an auto blend function that took noisy signals and "blended" left and right when a signal was weak. The weaker the signal the closer it got to mono. I can't remember if this feature was defeatable or not, it's just been too long. What kind of antenna are you using. Fanfare makes a great FM2G antenna that's about $100. It's the best indoor that I've used. I live in an apartment so I'm forced to use indoor antennas.

pbarach
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I have a Carver C-1 from circa 1985. These are regularly sold on eBay for well under $200. They are quiet units that don't get in the way of your system, and they have a decent phono stage as well (but no remote, which you said you didn't care about). To that, you could add an FM tuner--check out this website, which will direct you to some reasonably priced, used FM tuners:
http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/

Mitch Lee
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SO . . . after a Mac C26, Nakamichi, 2 Dyna PAS valves using 12au7 and 12at7, the phono stage of a 70s Sansui amp, and many more . . . I bought a new $130 Schiit Mani just for Schiits and Grinns. WOW! The Shiit is one Hell of a deal. Not quite as exciting as the valves or solid as the Mac. But WOW! So now, what do I use? Well, at various times, all of the above. Plus the phono stage of an old Carver with a Dyna Stereo 70. And an older Onkyo with a remote control. BUT, what do I actually listen to most? The Carver because of its neutrality and the 6, count 'em 6, Schiit Mani I have around the house because they are cheap and simple and with almost all of the music I listen to, mostly older jazz, classic rock, and 20th century classical, the Schiit is NOT the weakest link, just the cheapest. And with most material it matches anything below $500 that I have tried out . . . Oh, and the cartridge/stylus matters a LOT with preamp choice! The Schiit was unexpectedly sweet with my MC Denon DL-103 and MM Shure V15 III and the Carver with several Audio Technica Shibatas and hyper-ellipticals, S12 and others. And the Mac loves its Grado. And the Astrion and Acutex 315 also are in committed relationships.

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