Are there any good preamps out there in the $1500 range (new) that would pair well with the M700s? Asking for a friend. Seriously. And he won’t buy used. I suggested the Schiit Freya+ but he isn’t sold on it. Thanks for any advice.
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is on sale now. I have it with M700s since the beginning.
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Parasound P6
Rotel 1572
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Crazy that some people are averse to buying used when you could get something 2 to 3 times better for the same money :^ /
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Another vote here for the Gain Cell.
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Is he in Southern California? I have a Freya+ at my office, with a slew of new and NOS tubes. It’s astonishingly responsive to great tubes.
If he’s nearby, we could let him hear it in person. That said, better tubes vastly improve the experience, and they aren’t terrifically cheap. (They can be, but the worthy ones are $300-$400 per pair. You only need one pair for improvement - the pair on the right.). I’d integrate a BAV power cable as well.
However if he’s looking for more features, I totally understand. Gain cell seems like a decent alternative given the constraints.
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Schiit Freya+
Or
Parasound P6
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Missed opportunity, in my world it’s their choice.
In that price range, I’ve heard the Freya+, the Parasound P6, and the Gain Cell. To my ears the Gain Cell sounded best. There also Musical Fidelity M6 pre, plus the others already mentioned.
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Excellent idea. Thanks.
Thanks, that’s a kind offer but he’s heard that combo as that’s what I have and kind of why he’s in pursuit of a new system. He’s buying the M700s but not sold on the Freya+. I think the tubes intimidate him.
Agreed but he’s just that sort of fellow. Only used things he has ever bought are houses and antiques. But when he buys something he hangs onto it. His current system is from the 70s.
Thanks all for your responses. I presented all of it to him and his choice is the Gain Cell DAC.
I am anxious to hear it with the M700s and LRS+ that he also ordered but that is going to have to wait 6 months.
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I’ve been thinking about the LRS+. Heard them at Axpona and was VERY impressed, but already have 2 speaker systems that I really like.
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Quad Artera Pre
Parasound Halo P6
PS Audio GSD
I had the Freya+ for a couple of years, sold it in favor of my current pre, the Quad Artera. The Quad is a major step up in performance, design and build quality by a long shot.
I’m biased, but I think the PSA SGCD is a pretty exceptional piece for the price. It has a decent DAC and the pre section is sound. The Gain Cell volume is dern near unparalleled I’ve heard decent things about the Freya+, but Schiit build quality makes me nervous (I just returned to Schiit Aegir’s as they were not up to snuff). The Parasound pre’s get good reviews too.
As robwilgus mentions above, very good deals can be made on the used market to move a bit higher for the same costs.
I have the SGCD and M700s feeding my Maggie .7s. I absolutely love the combination.
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Congrats on your Subs.
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