Right now the EverSolo runs direct into the M700s — no preamp. It works, but I keep wondering what I’m leaving on the table. I’ve been looking at five contenders: the PS Audio StellarGold, the PS Audio PMG Signature, the Bryston BP-19, the Bryston BR-20, The StellarGold feels like the natural M700 partner, but the Bryston BP-19 is awfully hard to ignore — made in Canada, 20-year warranty, and dead quiet.
At the same time, I have zero idea what my AC looks like here in Laval, Québec, Canada and Paul’s argument about the wall being the foundation of everything keeps nagging at me. The Stellar P3 would touch every component in the chain.
So — for those who’ve faced a similar decision — did the Power Plant change things enough to make you hold off on a preamp? Or did the preamp open things up in a way that nothing else could? And if you’ve heard any of these five preamps with the M700s, I’d really love to know what you thought.
Curious what you actually heard, not just the theory.
Thanks, Bill | Laval, Québec
I document my journey over on YouTube if you’re curious about the room and the gear —AnAccidentalAudiophile
While I have not tried my system without a preamp (I have the Stellar DAC/Pre leading in the M700s) I did recently add a PowerPlant 3 to my system.
The improvement was amazing, instant and profound.
As I noted back in early December, “The highs are now open, the bass is evident and clean and 3 dimensional (these are little Maggies we’re talking about!) Voices stand out from the background music. Cellos, lower registers of pianos, and especially saxophones, in particular, are so very 3 dimensional. The detail provided by a strong attack/decay of notes makes my hair standup! The soundstage, already great, is wider, taller and deeper and with greater separation between instruments. Musicality is the clichéd term that comes to mind: Instruments sound more like themselves, the sound of drums is real and not just a generic “thump”; tabla and sitar music is truly mesmerizing, and I swear that Zuill Bailey and his cello ARE in my livingroom.
The system is louder (at the same pre-amp level) which also means that I can satisfy my wife by (occasionally) playing it at lower levels and still enjoying the sound. It’s like a loudness curve is being applied. My NAD FM tuner has been given a new life—much cleaner and with a wider range.
Listening is so very non-fatiguing now. Even the few rock CDs I have are a delight to listen to. Orchestral and chamber music are a joy, as are small folk/jazz ensembles.
In short, if going from my old NAD system to my PSA system was a +10, then adding the P3 is another +10. It is honestly that great an addition.”
I would get a PowerPlant 12 next [or PowerPlant 20 (if you can afford)]. A good power foundation is key in my opinion. I do not know what your power situation is like, but a power plant will give sources stability to perform their best. I would also invest in power before adding a preamp if you are enjoying system as is today.
A dedicated circuit? I could not tell from a quick glance at your YouTube page what type of power conditioning you are currently using (if any). A PMG preamp is costly as well (probably not possible budget wise).
No its a shared line to my Breaker Box in the house. I am using the following for now Tripp Lite ISOBAR8ULTRA 8-Outlet ISOBAR Surge Protector, 3840 Joules
To give a bit more context on my situation — My Listening room equipment has Rega Planar 3 with Nd5 cartridge into a Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono stage, through an EverSolo DMP-A8 as the digital hub and DAC (AKM AK4499EX, SNR >128dB balanced), then balanced XLR into a pair of PS Audio M700 monoblocks driving Focal Theva N2 floorstanding towers. A McIntosh MHA200 tube headphone amplifier runs in parallel off the EverSolo for serious headphone listening with Focal Clear MG, Meze 109 Pro, and Focal Celestee.
The reason the power question feels so urgent to me is that every single one of those components — the M700s, the MHA200, the EverSolo, the Fono stage, the Rega Neo PSU powering the turntable motor — is drawing directly from unfiltered Laval residential wall power. No conditioning. No regeneration. Nothing between the municipal grid and the equipment.
That matters more in a chain like this than it would in a simpler system. The EverSolo’s DAC is resolving enough to reveal whatever the power supply hands it. The MHA200 runs tubes, and tubes amplify noise on the supply rail right alongside the music signal. And both stations in my room likely share the same household circuit — which means the switching-mode noise from a Dell Precision workstation and dual 4K monitors at Station 1 may well be coupling back into the Station 2 chain.
So when people talk about the Power Plant being foundational rather than incremental, I think my situation is a fairly clear example of why. I’m making upgrade and evaluation decisions without actually knowing what the baseline sounds like on clean power. That’s the part that keeps nagging at me.
But if I had to invest $ should it be at the Pre-Amp or Power I can only do one at a time
I use a PS Audio Dectet for my bedroom system, but they are no longer made. I cannot afford a 2nd P20.
I would try a device from onfilter.com, Shunyata Research Venom PS10, or a Furutech e-TP80 S NCF. I have no experience with any of these, but they are on my short list if the Dectet ever fails.
Well, I have the Mark Levinson No. 523 Preamp, and love it. TMR has a used one for $7249, which is a bargain for a great sounding preamp. I actually would recommend that Preamp, but the volume control from the remote control is a pain in the neck to use, going up and down in 0.1db increments. I have heard the PMG Preamp in a forum member’s system, and have used the remote control to change the volume, and have always loved the ease of use of the PS Audio volume controls. If you end up getting a PMG Preamp, you will be set for many years with a decent new Preamp that will not need to be upgraded.
As to your base question, I think you would be best served going preamp. As to if a power plant would help, yes, but more subtle. And before a power plant, I would explore a pair of dedicated 20 amp lines. Two mainly because cost is mainly labor. I did this for less than $2K US. Because the entire interior of my house is notty pine (yes, ceilings too and even inside of closets) I had them run a conduit outside. Done correctly, you won’t see it after a month. Doing this will not only isolate your system but also ensure you have a solid connection. Especially in older homes that typically have many outlets and lights on each circuit, your path to the main panel may involve many points where wires are joined together and the junctions may not have been done well originally or corroded over time.
You need to decide which is more important. A power plant or conditioner will reduce noise and increase clarity, and a preamp will cutdown the annoying digital sound, making your system sounding smoother and warmer.
The reason I recommended a analog preamp is that it will bring in an easing analog-like SQ into the system. Even a great DAC going into amp directly sounded too digital to me, and it is quite fatiguing to listen to for a longer time.
With a good preamp, you should find the music is more enjoyable, whether a conditioner or generator is in the system or not.
However, with a preamp added, the need for a good conditioner or generator in the future is more desirable. Because as your components increase, more noises will be introduced.
Plan a future used P12, or a Puritan PSM156. Then your system will sound quieter and more analog like at the same time.
Thanks everyone for your input! I will be heading, believe it or not, to my first audio show in Montreal in March and hope to hear a bunch of different pre-amps just to get a sense of them, understanding that those rooms are not properly set up for subjective listening. But you have steered me to look at the pre-amp, and perhaps to stay patient and save money for the PMG.
I document my journey over on YouTube if you’re curious about the room and the gear — AnAccidentalAudiophile