Got a new, vintage preamp on the way

[stuwee]

I've been using a Yamaha CX 600U preamp for years, and liked it very much, recently it started dropping channels and no output on some sources entirely...Grrrr!

It's the end of the month, lot's of money for bills due shortly. I found a nice Sumo Electra Plus pre that fit my budget, under $300. Well cared for, phono input (very important). I'm a huge James Bongiorno fan, it should mate nicely with the big SAE amp.

No headphone output though (also very important for my AKG 601's). 2 set's of pre-outs, so one goes to the main amp and, one for the out board headphone amp?

I looked around at headphone amps and see lot's of options. I saw some tubed units from China that claim to have the grunt to run the AKG's to high levels, they have a volume control, how does that work with the pre volume? I remember a company up in Montana that had tons of headphones and amps and can't remember their name, I did a search and got headphone.com, that's not it, it was something else...anyway...is the Sumo a nice choice for now, till I have more funds? Any headphone amp ideas for the 601's? Thanks, Craig

 

[twich54]

Craig, hopefully the Sumo performs as expected ! sorry, I can't help when it come to headphone amps, I'm not a headphone guy.

 

[Bernard]

No headphone output though (also very important for my AKG 601's). 2 set's of pre-outs, so one goes to the main amp and, one for the out board headphone amp?

I looked around at headphone amps and see lot's of options. I saw some tubed units from China that claim to have the grunt to run the AKG's to high levels, they have a volume control, how does that work with the pre volume? I remember a company up in Montana that had tons of headphones and amps and can't remember their name, I did a search and got headphone.com, that's not it, it was something else...anyway...is the Sumo a nice choice for now, till I have more funds? Any headphone amp ideas for the 601's? Thanks, Craig

If you connect a headphone amp to a pre out, the signal will pass through the two volume controls, which is not desirable as each will add its own distortions. If you have a tape out on the preamp, use that instead as it's connected before the volume control, hence is not impacted by the volume control.

BTW, through reading a number of your posts I conclude that you listen to music at extremely high levels. Are you not concerned about your hearing? Believe me, tinnitus is tough. I once had it for about a month (which the audiologist told me was surprising as I have excellent hearing, and it's normally associated with hearing loss), and I thought I would go insane. Fortunately it passed; not so for a friend of mine who spent her youth in discos - she has to live with it for life.

Sorry no recommendations for headphone amps. I've always been paranoid about getting a blast in my ears, so no headphones for me.

Edit: try this site for amp recommendations:
http://www.head-fi.org

 

[Rehan Azim Hashmi]

Hello stuwee,

Three amps by the following firms. I have not heard a single one.

Bryston.
Sennheiser
Oppo.

I echo Bernards sentiment namely not a good idea to listen to earphones too much. Hearing at high volume may be fun but really damages hearing.
My advice minimize earphone usage and never listen at high volumes, if you value your ability to listen.

 

[stuwee]

Thanks guys! Yes, I worry about my hearing, although it's pretty shot at certain frequencies at this time...lot's of rock concerts and car races in the '70's.

I work late nights and need to be mindful of my partner and neighbors while listening to music, so headphones are a must, I don't think I blast music too loud through the phones. AKG's bigger models need some juice just to get to a decent level (IMO)....anyway, the Sumo...

It's so much clearer and sounds clean, the bass is what grabs me the most, tones/notes that I didn't hear before are at the front, the soundstage is pretty much the same which is very good! I'm very pleased with this vintage stop gap in my system. It should serve me well till something much nicer comes my way.

 

[Lurch490]

Given your $300 budget for the preamp, you should probably look at one of the Schiit headphone amps:

Magni ($99), Vali ($149), or Magnius ($199).

 

[StimpyWan]

The Schiit head amps are all very nice. I own several, and all are trouble free. Head-Fi has a Classified Ads section, where used gear can be found on the cheap. Keep an eye out. Also, Jason Stoddard, the Schiit co-founder, was once a main engineer at Sumo.

Schiit Audio

Oh, if you have issues with the Sumo, watch out for Acurus preamps. Baby Krells, the L10, LS11, and RL11 are very good, and achieve high end performance, for their price. Basic units though, with no phono pre or headphone amps. But, as noted, Schiit sells very good options for both.

Good luck.