Quote:
Originally Posted by daveneumann
Congratulations to the Pass Labs team on winning the Stereophile 2019 Amplification Component of the Year for the XP22 preamp. I think it is a well deserved honor...although admittedly I'm biased!
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I second the motion!
Disclosure, as if no one already knows. LOL Unabashed fan and owner of Pass Labs equipment, both commercial off the shelf and DIY.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat
I'm still of classically-held view the preamp is the heart of a system; and also of the view that the majority of digital-only systems, even if they can be connected directly to an amp and speakers, invariably sounds better when going through a preamp.
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As am I. I view the change in the ratio of reviews of separates systems to integrateds similar to the unfortunate trend of abandoning stereo systems in favor of home theater. The publications and writers are simply following or perhaps leading, the trend.
Stereo systems and home theater systems are two different applications. You would not expect your Ferrari to perform as well as your 4 wheel truck well off road and the Ferrari would have an advantage at the Nureburgring.
At present we do not have the technology to completely control electromagnetic effects. You can have all the mumetal, shielding, doghouses, twisted shielded and balanced wiring you want. Isolation achieved by physical distance is always better. This is the reason for separate power supplies of Pass Labs preamps.
The trend toward integrateds and all-in-ones, if there is one, is the third great tragedy in Hi-Fi evolution, the first being the virtual abandonment of analog recording. If as much effort had been put into the development and advancement of analog recording as has been diverted to the development of digital recording we would be in a much better place although I do hold out hope that digital recording can someday be improved to the point that it no longer degrades the original performance.
Hi-Fi has mostly recovered from the Home Theater debacle which resulted in the abandonment of many fine opportunities to audition equipment in local dealers, and there are a delightful selection of alternatives to the integration misadventure but will sadly never recover from the digitization debacle.
One of the greatest things about this forum is the reverence for separates systems. An appreciation for analog being another.