budget-but-quality active line-stage $1,000 or less?

[TerryNYC]

Looking around the least expensive high-quality non-DIY active preamps I've found are:
* Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus $599
* Emotiva XDA-2 w/ DAC $399

Both are very good & very good value however does anyone know of a high quality active analog line-stage (no phono needed) with a very good (Alps or similar) attenuator for $1,000 or less (new only)?

Thank you,
Terry

 

[theophile]

Read this thread.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=498219

 

[TerryNYC]

Theophile, thanks for the heads up. Interesting & I think a clever design; I'll google for test measurements. Sounds as though you are quite happy with it. What type of guitar do you play? best, Terry

 

[theophile]

Theophile, thanks for the heads up. Interesting & I think a clever design; I'll google for test measurements. Sounds as though you are quite happy with it. What type of guitar do you play? best, Terry

Terry, there is virtually no information about The Truth anywhere. Not even on the Hornshoppe website (which is ridiculous). I don't play the guitar. I learnt piano and brass instruments as a youth, but stopped all that to devote myself to surfboard riding. The fellow in my avatar starred in in a TV series which began "Faster than a speeding bullet....".

 

[TerryNYC]

Too funny, well how often are you mistaken for Superman? Too bad about the specs. I looked at the website and just assumed some technical reviewer somewhere would have put this on a bench because it does seem very clever.

 

[theophile]

Terry, The Truth is incredible sounding. I'd love to hear it in a system with a State Of The Art source component. It is very indicative of what is being fed into it. Seriously simple. Seriously effective.

 

[TerryNYC]

From the description it seems as though it would. However I'm researching products for a definitive history of modern design. The standard histories have shortcomings I plan to address. The worst area is consumer electronics, particularly audio. Any products I include must have substantial engineering documentation, so I'm afraid the Truth is off the list. When I can I'll run the design by an EE who is occasionally coaching me and see what he thinks about the electronic design concept although he will not be familiar with the implementation. Thanks again.

 

[Andre Marc]

Looking around the least expensive high-quality non-DIY active preamps I've found are:
* Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus $599
* Emotiva XDA-2 w/ DAC $399

Both are very good & very good value however does anyone know of a high quality active analog line-stage (no phono needed) with a very good (Alps or similar) attenuator for $1,000 or less (new only)?

Thank you,
Terry

For me, easy answer. The Belles Soloist 3. Just phenomenal. Around a grand:

http://powermodules.com/s-3pre.html

I reviewed it and bought the review sample.

http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-preamplifiers/stereo-preamps/belles-soloist-3-preamplifier.html

 

[TerryNYC]

Andre,

Thank you! This unit is actually in my database however I completely forgot that it was such an excellent value. I'm going to move it to the correct group right now before I've had a chance to forget.

Best,
Terry

 

[Andre Marc]

Andre,

Thank you! This unit is actually in my database however I completely forgot that it was such an excellent value. I'm going to move it to the correct group right now before I've had a chance to forget.

Best,
Terry

My pleasure. Happy hunting!

 

[TerryNYC]

Actually not hunting as I have a Meridian preamp. I'm writing a history of modern design that differs significantly from the standard texts. Functionality takes precedence over appearance. The standard texts are particularly deficient in consumer electronics and just awful in high fidelity product coverage. I am rectifying this. The subsection in my work that covers audio runs across roughly 1930 - 2010 and the primary functionality criteria is "is it accurate thus truly high-fidelity". I'm being extremely diligent & completist about product research because my predecessors were not.

 

[Andre Marc]

Actually not hunting as I have a Meridian preamp. I'm writing a history of modern design that differs significantly from the standard texts. Functionality takes precedence over appearance. The standard texts are particularly deficient in consumer electronics and just awful in high fidelity product coverage. I am rectifying this. The subsection in my work that covers audio runs across roughly 1930 - 2010 and the primary functionality criteria is "is it accurate thus truly high-fidelity". I'm being extremely diligent & completist about product research because my predecessors were not.

Oh cool. Sounds like a big project. Enjoy!

 

[Lee]

My previous preamp was an Audio Research LS-3 which can be found for around $600-700 used. Sounds very good for the money. Very well made.