You are going to need a quality preamplifier if you choose to go with separates for your hi fi system. This is a good choice for those who want to try out different amps or if you want to start out with a lower powered amp and then have an upgrade path to a bigger amp in the future. Preamplifiers can range all the way from simple passive designs that may be nothing more than a simple potentiometer all the way to very complex designs that feature internal DAC's, Bluetooth, WiFi, video processing, video switching, etc. Some preamplifiers include digital file playback capability from PC's, MAC's, external hard drives or wirelessly over your home network. This product category is advancing at the speed of social media and you can rely on Secrets to help guide you to the ideal choice for your needs. To top it all off, our independent bench tests give you guidance in so far as which products deliver the goods and which should just be avoided.
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Preamplifiers
Octave Audio V 110 SE Integrated Tube Amplifier Review
John E. Johnson, Jr.
From Germany, and Europe in general, come a lot of great audio products. One of the companies there is Octave Audio. Their specialty is...
PreamplifiersReviews
ADCOM GFP-915 Preamplifier and GFA-565se Power Amplifier Review.
Craig Chase
ADCOM has been building high-value preamplifiers and amplifiers for over 40 years. For most of that time, their components have had a...
Amplifier ReviewsPower AmplifiersPreamplifiersReviews
PS Audio StellarGold Stereo Preamplifier Review
John E. Johnson, Jr.
PS Audio has been around for a very long time and has accumulated considerable experience in designing a lot of different products. One of...
Rogue Audio RP-5 v2 Preamplifier Review
Jim Clements
Rogue Audio just released a major upgrade to their highly regarded RP-5 preamplifier. The new model, the RP-5 v2, features several...
Amplifier ReviewsPreamplifiersReviews
Plinius Kaitaki Preamplifier Review
Gene Hopstetter
The Plinius Kaitaki preamplifier has an MSRP of $6500. For $650 more you can get an internal phono stage added. It features a gorgeous, brushed metal chassis with blue accents and a massive remote control.
Amplifier ReviewsPreamplifiersReviews
Parasound New Classic 200 Preamplifier Review
Craig Chase
Parasound’s New Classic 200 Preamplifier blends both old and new with a Burr-Brown DAC, subwoofer crossover, home theater bypass, and support for both phono cartridge types. A slim chassis means you can put it just about anywhere.
Amplifier ReviewsPreamplifiersReviews
Kinki Studio EX-P7 Stereo Solid State Preamplifier Review
John E. Johnson, Jr.
Kinki Studio is a company operating out of China, and it sells direct to consumers worldwide. Their EX-P7 preamplifier has extraordinarily low distortion and a rise in the frequency response of about 1.5 dB between 1 kHz and 20 kHz which produces very fine detail.
Amplifier ReviewsPreamplifiersReviews
Rotel RC-1572MKII Stereo Preamplifier and RB-1582MKII Power Amplifier Review
Taps Das
The Rotel RC-1572 Stereo Preamplifier and RB-1582MKII Power Amplifier are two boxes, with loads of connectivity, and gobs of power.
Preamplifiers
Bryston BR-20 Stereo Preamplifier Review
John E. Johnson, Jr.
Bryston is a Canadian high-end audio company that has been around since 1962More than half a century later, they continue to design and build very high-qu...
Preamplifiers
SPL Director Mk2 Preamplifier/DAC Review
Jim Milton
The SPL Director Mk2 is a preamp/DAC combo that keeps things simple while adding a couple of unique twists that make it something special.Since its incept...
Preamplifiers
Classé Delta PRE Stereo Preamplifier and Delta STEREO Power Amplifier Review
John E. Johnson, Jr.
Classé has a long history of marketing high-end audio products. I have had several in my list of reference components.
Preamplifiers
Rotel RC-1590 MkII Stereo Preamplifier and RB 1590 Stereo Amplifier Review
Jim Milton
Rotel, who has been in the audio business for 60 years, has released an updated version of their stereo preamplifier which contains some trickle-down technology from their high-end Michi line.
Amplifier ReviewsPreamplifiersReviews
Benchmark Media HPA4 Preamplifier-AHB2 Power Amplifier-DAC3 B DAC Review
Carlo Lo Raso
If nothing else, Benchmark Media Systems provides a textbook case of how good (read: superb) things can come in small packages.
Preamplifiers
McIntosh C2700 2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier and MC462 Power Amplifier Review
Taps Das
When I was initially contacted to review the McIntosh C2700 Preamp, I declined because I didn't own a power amplifier that I thought would...
Preamplifiers
Schiit Audio Freya+ Preamplifier and Vidar Amplifier Review
Gene Hopstetter
What if I said you could buy a Class A-B power amplifier that will give you 100W into 8 ohms, and a preamplifier with balanced inputs and outputs...
Preamplifiers
