Preamp for Rock Music

[Discibell]

Hi, i'm new here and i need some help. Here's the story:
I just bought a Crown power amp xti 2000 to power my Klipsch Heresy III loudspeaker. I'm currently just using the gain control of the crown amp to control the volume.
I will like to find a good preamp to do the control job and hoping to get some clue about which brand and model that will be suitable with the system i 'm using. I only listen to Rock and Metal stuff so i need the punch more than transparency.
Any suggestion and opinion will be highly appreciate, thanks!

 

[jls001]

Wow, that's one hell of a speaker you have! It's been around for more than 40 years in its various avatars, and is still in production. Just yesterday I was reading a review on HiFi+ mag and it recommended a large listening distance for this horn loaded speaker to really shine. And what sensitivity (99dB). All you really need is tiny amp to drive it!
Sorry, I can't give you preamp advice. And it's nice to know that someone from Kedah is on the forum (I had visited Seberang Jaya and Penang many years ago).
Joshua

 

[denom]

:licklips::clapping::yahoo::sad:

Let me explain:

Mad because you've got the Heresy III
Licking Lips at what must be the sound like powered with that crown power amp
Clapping coz you'e got the same taste in music like me
Yahoo coz that combo of yours must be something to hear METAL alright!
Sad coz I am not staying in kedah to listen to your Set-up

Can you tell us what is the source your using?

Sorry but am just too :sad: now & hence cannot help you regarding your pre-amp query.

 

[afj]

Hi, i'm new here and i need some help. Here's the story:
I just bought a Crown power amp xti 2000 to power my Klipsch Heresy III loudspeaker. I'm currently just using the gain control of the crown amp to control the volume.
I will like to find a good preamp to do the control job and hoping to get some clue about which brand and model that will be suitable with the system i 'm using. I only listen to Rock and Metal stuff so i need the punch more than transparency.
Any suggestion and opinion will be highly appreciate, thanks!

whats your impressions on using a professional amp for a home system. i went that route too with the yamaha p2000s. didnt really like it. not enough detail and muddy. bass was flabby too - didnt really expect that of a prof amp. i first used a yamaha mixer mg10/2. switched to a nad pre. didnt really make too much of a diff. perhaps you can try a mixer. am sure if you go to one of these small prof audio rentals they'll let you try it on your set up for 200 bucks

 

[Discibell]

:licklips::clapping::yahoo::sad:

Let me explain:

Mad because you've got the Heresy III
Licking Lips at what must be the sound like powered with that crown power amp
Clapping coz you'e got the same taste in music like me
Yahoo coz that combo of yours must be something to hear METAL alright!
Sad coz I am not staying in kedah to listen to your Set-up

Can you tell us what is the source your using?

To be honest i'm just using a Pioneer DV610 dvd player as a source as i believe listening to heavy music won't show much difference between using a hi-end cd player and other moderate media player.
With the system i'm using, i can play most of the metal album with above average satisfaction but still not all. Like the album Crusher by Amon Amarth is one example of a more challenging sound recordings i find it hard to listen. I like the songs very much but i do think my system is still not up to that level yet.

 

[denom]

Thanks for the reply Discibell,

Source is important too, not that you have to go all out & buy a hi-end player, even an average player will do or you can go the media player route, the sound will definitely improve. So why don't you upgrade the source first?

BTW, how is the audio scene in your city? Do the audio equipment shops provide a loaner facility for the customer to listen to their prospective purchase @ their home? If yes, then you can try things out step by step & then decide which equipment fits best with your power amp/speakers combo.

Did you check out any pre-amps pairing with the crown power amp of yours at the time of power amp purchase?
Pls do give us your view on the crown power amp as well, plus prices of the crown & klipsch goodies that you have


Aaahh! Amon Amarth :licklips: Bet Asator, Twilight of the Thunder God, Metal Wrath, Masters Of War, Cry of the Black Birds .... list goes on, sound DEADLY due thanks to the HeresyIII's

 

[Discibell]

whats your impressions on using a professional amp for a home system. i went that route too with the yamaha p2000s. didnt really like it. not enough detail and muddy. bass was flabby too - didnt really expect that of a prof amp. i first used a yamaha mixer mg10/2. switched to a nad pre. didnt really make too much of a diff. perhaps you can try a mixer. am sure if you go to one of these small prof audio rentals they'll let you try it on your set up for 200 bucks

Before buying the Crown power amp, i do go through some long research but with the budget factor, i was refused the ownership of the home stereo products like Naim, Bryston, MCintosh and Krell so i just had to stray to the PA's.
I also had a Denon PMA-2000IVR stereo integrated amplifier but this amp with just 80 watt per chanel will sound really sick to play any hard rock or metal album that i own with the SPL i need. The point is i don't really had the chance to test any powerful home stereo amplifer that can play metal/rock( regardless of average or perfect recording quality) with eye-poping performance so i won't dare to conclude that PA amps are better.
BTW, thanks for the information and experience.

 

[Discibell]

Thanks for the reply Discibell,

Source is important too, not that you have to go all out & buy a hi-end player, even an average player will do or you can go the media player route, the sound will definitely improve. So why don't you upgrade the source first?

BTW, how is the audio scene in your city? Do the audio equipment shops provide a loaner facility for the customer to listen to their prospective purchase @ their home? If yes, then you can try things out step by step & then decide which equipment fits best with your power amp/speakers combo.

Did you check out any pre-amps pairing with the crown power amp of yours at the time of power amp purchase?
Pls do give us your view on the crown power amp as well, plus prices of the crown & klipsch goodies that you have


Aaahh! Amon Amarth :licklips: Bet Asator, Twilight of the Thunder God, Metal Wrath, Masters Of War, Cry of the Black Birds .... list goes on, sound DEADLY due thanks to the HeresyIII's

Thanks for the information, denom and also afj.
I think the source is a later upgrade after i buy the right preamp. The city i live didn't have many hi fi dealers so i got to travel to other state like Penang to go for a look. As in my country Malaysia, very few people who loves rock music that are willing to spend for the stereo. Most hi fi enthusiats that i know are either into home audiophile or dance/club music for auto-system so when i told the hi fi dealers i need somethings that can play metal and rock, they would usually shake their heads or turn their backs.

The Crown xti 2000 cost RM4050 and it was ordered by email so i never exactly know what sound i was buying except for power until it was delivered to me. I had a Denon pma-450 integrated stereo amp that has an output power of 60 watt per chanel. If you ask me to compare the 2 amps, i had to conclude that the Crown is far a winner. And about the Klipsch Heresy III, i bought it for RM3700 (used). If you are into rock, this is one of the great rocking speaker with a more affordable price IMO. It is stated that the low freq of the 12" woofer is only down to 58hz but what i heard is much lower than that.

I don't find any chance of testing any powerful home stereo amp that can perform well for rock/metal regardless of average or top recording quality so i won't dare to suggest that PA amps are better. How i build my stereo system is all base on what music i listen to and also the budget factor. Powerful home products like Bryston, Krell, MCintosh, Naim...... i can't afford those.

 

[square_wave]

Don't know about Rock only preamp. But this one will surely rock.

AudiogoN ForSale: Burson Ha-160d 6Moons Pick of the

Burson Ha-160d

It has a DAC built in. All for 1095$

 

[marsilians]

Hi, i'm new here and i need some help. Here's the story:
I just bought a Crown power amp xti 2000 to power my Klipsch Heresy III loudspeaker. I'm currently just using the gain control of the crown amp to control the volume.
I will like to find a good preamp to do the control job and hoping to get some clue about which brand and model that will be suitable with the system i 'm using. I only listen to Rock and Metal stuff so i need the punch more than transparency.
Any suggestion and opinion will be highly appreciate, thanks!

Budget? Listening area?

You need a warm pre-amp otherwise the crown and Klipsch will give you a headache in a short while as they are considered bright.

Denon or Marantz (even AVRs with preouts) is worth looking at.

 

[Discibell]

Budget? Listening area?

You need a warm pre-amp otherwise the crown and Klipsch will give you a headache in a short while as they are considered bright.

Agree! The Klipsch have hi freq horn driver.

 

[square_wave]

An AVR with preout ?????????????

The Preamp is the most compromised section in any AVR !

The Klipch hearsay is a speaker which need careful matching with the right kind of amp/preamp. If done right, it produces hi-end sound of the (live sounding variety) .
The source is the mother. Insert oddities like AVR or DVD players at the source end and you will #$^$# up the sound big time ! The source is the combination of (low level signal and the preamplification).

For speakers like the heresay, I' d suggest a decent solid state preamp and a good 15 watter tube amp. The music will come alive !

 

[captrajesh]

For speakers like the heresay, I' d suggest a decent solid state preamp and a good 15 watter tube amp. The music will come alive !

General wisdom (that I hopefully acquired from frequenting forums like HFV) says (if you are looking for warmth of tubes and the power of solid-state) use a tube pre and SS power.

Any specific reasons why you have recommended the reverse order ?

 

[afj]

How i build my stereo system is all base on what music i listen to and also the budget factor. Powerful home products like Bryston, Krell, MCintosh, Naim...... i can't afford those.

you dont need to go all the way into the likes of bryston, krell etc. there are good amps in the likes of nad / cambridge which is priced in the middle. there are some amazing chinese amps. i owned one of these. the bada purer 3.3. take a look at the link. under 1000 usd fob china. really powerful. will rock your speakers http://www.badahi-fi.com/detail.asp?id=141

 

[square_wave]

General wisdom (that I hopefully acquired from frequenting forums like HFV) says (if you are looking for warmth of tubes and the power of solid-state) use a tube pre and SS power.

Any specific reasons why you have recommended the reverse order ?

Yes, this is the accepted general wisdom. But there is no general rule to this. In fact there are two different camps among audiophiles.

1. One that decides to keep the source as accurate as possible by keeping the cd player and preamp (sold state) and using a tube power amp to get the tube magic. This is a very good option if you have high sensitivity speakers.

2. The other camp like to have a high power SS power combined with a tube preamp. This is a very good option if you have difficult to drive speakers.

Then again, you can combine how you want. There are no rules

 

[reubensm]

Hi, I was in a similar situation as you as I listen to mostly Hard Rock and Heavy Metal...My setup had a NAD 216thx Power Block and a NAD 106 preamp on it. Was great for playing country music, especially stuff like Pink Floyd. However when I switched to AC DC, Metallica, Megadeth and so on, it sounded quite flat and lacked the kick-ass punch...I did a lot of research and finally managed to lay my hands on a vintage NAD 1020A Preamp. This preamp has coloured tone controls and a loudness button as well. All one has to do is hit the loudness button and the bass is heavily boosted without much colouration on the mids and highs...i use this preamp with my cd player (which is also an el cheapo sony dvd player), my technics sl 3200 turntable, my nakamichi dr3 cassette deck and my NAD 402 tuner. The NAD 106 preamp which I had earlier is also wired in for playing my 2nd turntable which is a vintage Garrard SP25 MK1...I use floorstanders as well...opened the NAD 1020A and found that its tone stage had a 0.67 mfd cap for the bass control, something unheard off, these days. Happy listening!! By the way, try out the album, Last Of The Runaways by Giant. Just like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon, it is a wonderfully mixed and recorded album, ideally great for auditioning rock music on audiophile systems...it is an album from 1989, the good old 1980's Glam Metal (Hair Metal).

 

[Discibell]

...I use floorstanders as well...

If i miss anything, i will be most curious to know what speakers you use.

I heard alot about NAD is goodrocking, but to discuss about the loudness function......3 years ago i had pioneer intergrated stereo amplifier and it had the loudness button. When loudness is on - the bass hit lower and the treble is boosted but IMO it didn't go well with all kind of metal songs. If you are into speed or black metal like Motorhead and Vader then you can possibly feel/hear the rumbling low freq is over emphasized where the doublebass drumkick is drowned by too much rumble.

Thanks to all members i will take my time to look into each preamp you all recommand. More help and reply to be welcome:signthankspin:

 

[reubensm]

the floor standers are JBL H328, Metallica's Black Album is also not a bad choice for a audition. The orginal mastering ensured Lars TAMA and Newstead's bass were coloured...believe me, the NAD 1020A's loudness is pretty true, no change to highs/mids. Guess its only the 3020s or the 1020s. Other NADs tend to sound a bit mello.