Searched but did not see any reviews here for the Emotive BaxX PT-100 and just wondering if anyone has experiences with it. I have never had any emotiva gear.
It would be used with a a Sunfire Classic Signature 2x300WPC amp. Sources would be a Sonos connect connected to a DAC, a Thorens TD-126 MKII turntable with Denon high output MC cart, and an Ayre Universal disc player. Eventually maybe to a TV, but not for surround.
It would replace a Sunfire Vacuum Tube Control Center, which has become unreliable and likely not worth repairing -- its been recapped already but there are other gremlins and I don't trust it not to catch fire one day, likely on a day when I am out and forgot to turn it off).Sunfire Preamp blew up a cheap but good Fiio DAC that I was using with the Sonos...Yes the preamp sent a signal the opposite direction through the line in and burned out the output stage of a dac.
I know the Sunfire VTCC is considered a good preamp, and the Emotiva PT-100 not really in the same class besides the difference between SS and tubes. I am not a tube partisan. If I miss the "tube sound" I guess I could always get a tube buffer (er, distortion box). And I wonder if a 2017 $300 pre might, in fact, have similar performance as a late-1990s pre that cost may times more.
The soundstage/imaging is probably the most important SQ issue for me.
The Emotiva checks a lot of boxes for me:
- I would rather not spend $1000+ on a preamp. Choices of decent but affordable pre-amps seem quite limited especially once one adds in that....
- I want tone controls and balance controls. I find the tone controls very useful for dealing with room acoustics, middle-age ears, and varied source material. I want a balance control cause I am bit of an imaging junkie...I like to dial the imagining right in. Ideally I want a mono switch to dial in the balance. The emotive has all everything except the mono switch (it has one, but it is only for the FM tuner, so maybe useful to some degree).
--need a new DAC. the PT-100 onboard DAC seems to be well reviewed from what I read. Was considering getting a $150-250 DAC such as the Schiit Modi Multibit before...now I need both a new DAC and a new preamp. the new pre does not HAVE to have a DAC. but less cable runs to mange, shorter signal path.
-- while I don't need it absolutely, the Emotiva seems to have a pretty good phono preamp. I have Cambridge Audio phono pre already, though I have been using the Sunfire's built in phono stage...which is better than the CA. But I only use the turntable occasionally, so can't justify spending more on a another fancy one AND having it built in means fewer cables means less clutter and shorter signal.
Hmmm...seems I have answered my own question. I have not seen another preamp that close to the same feature set of the PT-100 near its price. I don't absolutely need the pre to also have a phono stage and a DAC but even then the choices are limited. Schiit's Saga looks pretty interesting, but no tone controls.
So unless there are other pre's that come to mind, I guess I will be placing an order with emotiva....
