Amp/Preamp Asylum

• RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display - cin5 19:21:14 08/04/24 (2)
  In Reply to: RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display posted by 4164 on August 04, 2024 at 14:27:25

  Thanks so much for a very complete reply. I see by using that Furman power conditioner that you have a virtually bulletproof power sequencing scheme. I absolutely will follow your lead and install one of those Furman power conditioners. https://www.sweetwater.com/c960--Power_Conditioners

  Unfortunately, my First Watt F4 power amp has no standby switch, BUT I wonder if there's a Furman model that has some kind of programmable and automatic power up/down sequencer to accomplish the same thing for all of my other devices. Actually, my 3.1 system will have a second preamp or line stage to between an output of my 8 channel DAC and the power amp that will drive my center speaker, but can simply use an AC power y-connector to power both preamps from the same outlet on the Furman device. But would have to do the same with another two or three outlets to power my three Rythmik F12 subs, two power amps, DAC, PC and TV. Thanks for sharing your Furman power conditioning scheme; excellent insurance against much of what worried me.

  But as the Pre90's remote is problematic, why not just use the Bryston DAC's remote for volume/mute?

  Also, Dougdwyer got LOUD pops when you hit mute (of all things) on the remote. https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/anyone-own-or-at-least-heard-the-topping-pre-90.1138026/page-2#post-34979311 Apparently, that never happened to you.

  But when I described my speakers to Kal Rubinson he said that mine are 6db more sensitive than his. So, with speakers like these in a ~ 2660 cu ft room, high energy transients can be hazardous to hearing. All the more reason to avoid using what seems to be a poorly designed remote.

  And unless you never use the Pre90's balanced and unbalanced connectivity, have you ever heard any pops/clicks when using the remote to switch between them?

  In any case, the Pre90 is really amazing. It faced really stiff Schiit competition https://www.schiit.com/products/kara?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzby1BhCQARIsAJ_0t5PuI5U2tKjlXa2FGfrNyZ79dAYtjBqZJKhRW9koDS7Ffc62j1DzQaAaAiJbEALw_wcB and performed admirably even when Ka put it against that $17K Pass Labs preamp.

  Enjoy!

  
  
  

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  Edits: 08/04/24

  • RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display - kh6idf 12:39:39 08/05/24 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display posted by cin5 on August 04, 2024 at 19:21:14

    I don't think the Furman power conditioner sequences the turn-on, it just powers everything connected to it on at once. Since the amp is on standby, it stays silent until I push the little button on the front, and by then the preamp has finished powering up.

    I think they guy who got the loud pop when hitting mute on his remote had a defective pre90. Mine certainly doesn't do that.

    I don't have a remote for the Bryston D/A converter, even if I did I'm not sure it would be able to control output volume. There are no 'fixed' and 'variable' outputs, just one fixed output.

    I don't hear any pops/clicks when I switch between XLR and RCA inputs, with the RCA input coming from a Linn Kairn tape out set to record the MM phono input. I like that I can set different volume levels for the XLR and RCA inputs so when I switch between them I don't get a big change in volume.

    From my experience with the unit I received, the Pre90 is a well-behaved device that functions perfectly and is free of clicks or pops when switching. There is a muted click when you step the volume up or down, but that is the mechanical noise of the relays themselves and fairly low level compared to the Schiit Kara which is noisier in that regard. Also, I can step the volume up or down by a single 0.5 dB step easily with the Pre90 while the Kara will overshoot by at least 2-3 steps before I can take my finger off the remote button.

    The Kara is still a fine preamp, and sometimes I will temporarily substitute it for the Pre90 to hear the difference. They both sound very good. However there are a number of small reasons I prefer the Pre90 including a DC offset that in my case is 80 times (!) lower than the Kara.
    

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    Edits: 08/05/24

    • RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display - cin5 00:25:53 08/06/24 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: Topping Pre90 - larger display posted by kh6idf on August 05, 2024 at 12:39:39

      That Pre90 really is amazing for the price. Good to know that there are Furman models which do have programmable power on/off sequencing
      https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M8S--furman-m-8s-power-conditioner-sequencer
      

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