Goldpoint SA4M-47 passive 'preamp' winging its way to Marco Towers...

[DSJR]

Shows how loud you lot listen at. It's nine o'clock and UNDER that I need careful control over

[The Black Adder]

Lol - no chance, with the way its sounding now!

Might have a Croft preamp up for grabs, though...

Marco.

Just have it converted as an outstanding phono stage! - That's what I'd do if anything came along that was better for the line stage.

[Marco]

I know, mate. Too right! No way is the Croft going anywhere

Like you say, it's still got a superb phono stage on board, and I've not came to a conclusive opinion yet as to whether the Goldpoint acts as a better line stage. It certainly sounds fab, but it's not necessarily better than the Croft.

That decision will be made once the Goldpoint has run-in fully

Marco.

[The Black Adder]

I know, mate. Too right! No way is the Croft going anywhere

Like you say, it's still got a superb phono stage on board, and I've not came to a conclusive opinion yet as to whether the Goldpoint acts as a better line stage. It certainly sounds fab, but it's not necessarily better than the Croft.

That decision will be made once the Goldpoint has run-in fully

Marco.

That's what I found with passives. I've tried a few in the past. They are superb, but are different rather than better than a good active pre. I could very easily live with one that's for sure but the Croft seems to be drawing me back each time.

Does your Croft have a tape-out? - If so, simply hook that up to the passive to use the phono stage. It's a direct signal bypassing the attenuator.

[Jimbo]

I have found them to be a little gutless compared to an active pre. They do somethings well, nice and airy with good acoustic space and a big soundstage, but don,t always have the balls of a good pre.

Maybe I haven't tried a good passive. I believe the Goldpoint is up there with the best.

Good luck Marco.

[The Black Adder]

I have found them to be a little gutless compared to an active pre. They do somethings well, nice and airy with good acoustic space and a big soundstage, but don,t always have the balls of a good pre.

Maybe I haven't tried a good passive. I believe the Goldpoint is up there with the best.

Good luck Marco.

Those were my findings too, Jim. It's very easy to get hooked on the airiness and the detail retrieval. I certainly did and lived with it for a month or so. But one day, I put an album on (to which I had never played with the passive) and because I wasn't expecting the difference I just couldn't get it out of my head how I was used to hearing it. I switched it back to the active and everything slotted together.

This is something Marco needs to figure out between the Goldpoint and the Croft.

I've always said that in my experience, they are different, not worse or better... it's down to taste and your expectance to hear what is correct, it just takes time to figure it out.

[montesquieu]

I have found them to be a little gutless compared to an active pre. They do somethings well, nice and airy with good acoustic space and a big soundstage, but don,t always have the balls of a good pre.

Maybe I haven't tried a good passive. I believe the Goldpoint is up there with the best.

Good luck Marco.

Kind of agree ... though I did enjoy a top notch (£5k in today's money) MFA MkII for good while, at the end of the day I was glad when I put a proper tube preamp back in. (Albeit it was a Shindo that convinced me to go back in that direction).

I've always seemed to enjoy passives more for what they DON'T do than for what they do. But what a really GOOD tube preamp DOES, it's easy to forgive.

Crofts are all very good SVP£ but far from the last word as a tube preamp.

But all part of the learning curve.

[Marco]

Hi Jo,

That's what I found with passives. I've tried a few in the past. They are superb, but are different rather than better than a good active pre. I could very easily live with one that's for sure but the Croft seems to be drawing me back each time.

Yup, that's what I had always found before I tried the Tisbury. And because that sounded nothing like the soft and lacklustre passives I'd heard before, and had all the drive and attack of a good active preamp, it got me thinking!

Where the Tisbury lost out to the Croft, was not in terms of 'balls' or drive, but in more subtle things, such as texture, vocal phrasing and tonal shading, where the Croft was more accomplished and refined sounding, making the Tisbury sound a little 'rushed' and unsubtle in comparison.

The Goldpoint, especially now since the mod Duncan has carried out, has levelled the playing field, in terms of what the Tisbury was lacking, whilst having all the 'balls'/drive/punch of the Croft, so it really is quite something!

Does your Croft have a tape-out? - If so, simply hook that up to the passive to use the phono stage. It's a direct signal bypassing the attenuator.

Yup it does, and that's exactly how I've been listening to vinyl

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Jim,

I have found them to be a little gutless compared to an active pre. They do somethings well, nice and airy with good acoustic space and a big soundstage, but don,t always have the balls of a good pre.

Maybe I haven't tried a good passive. I believe the Goldpoint is up there with the best.

Good luck Marco.

Cheers, Jim. Trust me, the Goldpoint is in no way gutless Whether you'd like how it sounds overall, is another question, but lacking 'cohonas' is doesn't!

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Tom,

I've always seemed to enjoy passives more for what they DON'T do than for what they do. But what a really GOOD tube preamp DOES, it's easy to forgive.

Crofts are all very good SVP£ but far from the last word as a tube preamp.

Indeed, but mine (and Jo's) is somewhat of a departure from any Croft that's sold now!

It's been heavily modified, with all sorts of tasty bits inside, not least of which are the bigger octal-type valves (6SL7s), which make the ECC83s (and the like) used in current Croft preamps sound positively limp and anaemic... As such, I'd quite happily put it up against other valve preamps on the market at any price

Marco.