Pre Amp Blues...

[Mick Parry]

I never said they were wrong.

[DSJR]

It's just that Mick hasn't heard the best of them by comparison with his fave brand!


Have you arranged to visit Ash & Mart yet? No, I thought not.........

[hifi_dave]

Shaun,
The only sure way to know if the 8000Q is better than your passive Creek is to hear it in your system. As an Audiolab dealer for many years, I am not certain it will be.

Another option for you to consider is the Croft new basic pre at £350, Shit styling but stunning sound and a great MM phono stage thrown in. Well worth a listen.

[aquapiranha]

Aquapiranha, my DIY skills are virtually non existant even though I do fully understand that I would get a much superior product that way. Unfortunately I have only 350 quid to spend which is why I questioned spending it in the first place. I questioned whether or not an Audiolab 8000Q ACTIVE would be better than a Creek OBH-22 PASSIVE. Both preamps cost around 300 pounds but of course the casework of the 8000Q would match my 8000M's.

The input impedence of the 8000M monoblocks means that a passive preamp can be used with no loss of treble and as they have a 1V input sensitivity they can be used with most other devices without any preamplification. I love the weight of these power amps and I love the sheer slam and 'welly' of the sound. For what they cost now they are a true bargain however mine were at the old price. C' Est La Vie I guess.

hi Shaun, fair comment about the DIY aspect - it is always hard wielding a soldering iron for the first time! as to the cost, you would be looking at £100 tops, including a very nice case. The LDR is simple and uses few components.

Or, you could buy a pre-assembled one like this..



for about £150 from here...

http://diyparadise.com/shop/index.ph...&reviews_id=19