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Pass DCB1 vs "PFM" B4 vs PBPB vs Stereo Coffee LDR (most recent board)

Rosewind

Rosewind

Lost in Translation
I have had a Pass DCB1 buffer in the house for a few weeks. It will soon be on its way to a happy man back in the UK. It is in a blue case and it has an onboard phono stage. I want a line stage only in a nice silver alu box.

In the meantime I will run my phono stages through a simple passive attenuator volume control but I have had a look at other quite simple DIY preamps that look as if they may work with my EAR 516 and Quad 57. As they are available as DIY, has any of you had any real hands-on experience with one or more of them, and perhaps even a/b auditioned some of them directly?

Pass DCB1 - a little leaner / cooler than I am used to, but I like the clarity it brings to my set-up

"PFM" B4 - a "piglet's dad" invention, I believe - I read that some people prefer this to the Pass B1

PBPB - Bruno Putzey Balanced Preamp - so I take it that it is only useful in a balanced set-up?

Stereo Coffe LDR - I had a chance to buy one with an older board but somehow it did not work out. The most recent board should be quite an improvement over earlier versions

Any thoughts?

EDIT:

Salas' DCG3 added to the "hands-on experience, please, comments list"
 
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The LDR one IS a passive but uses a cadmium sulphide light dependent resistor as the "pot"/ "attenuator". It only has disadvantages when compared to more conventional types... such as it generates some distortion that is not present in other passives...

Good line stages should be "much of a muchness" as they're difficult to do badly really... However... I guess most of the ones that are popular and gain the most praise are (as with headphone amps) the "worst" ones ie the ones that are coloured and/or add distortion and thereby stamp their own sound on proceedings...
 
Jez. So you have actually listened to an LDR unit recently?

Thanks killie99. DCG3 impressions added to my wanted list. Only 101 pages. Where is DIY Preamp Digest Magazine when you need it?
 
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Rosewind said:
Jez. So you have actally listened to an LDR unit recently?

Thanks killie99. DCG3 impressions added to my wanted list. Only 101 pages. Where is DIY Preamp Digest Magazine when you need it?
Click to expand...

No and I wouldn't bother either. A conventional switched attenuator is the closest thing to perfection in a hi fi chain.
 
Jez.
I asked for "has any of you had any real hands-on experience with one or more of them, and perhaps even a/b auditioned some of them directly?"

Thanks.
 
Pass DCB1 - a little leaner / cooler than I am used to, but I like the clarity it brings to my set-up

"PFM" B4 - a "piglet's dad" invention, I believe - I read that some people prefer this to the Pass B1

PBPB - Bruno Putzey Balanced Preamp - so I take it that it is only useful in a balanced set-up?

Stereo Coffe LDR - I had a chance to buy one with an older board but somehow it did not work out. The most recent board should be quite an improvement over earlier versions

Salas' DCG3 - new to me but let me hear what your impressions are
 
I've had a DCB1 here, and just got Khozmo stepped attenuator.
The DCB1 had fantastic midrange, female vocals had never been so good, however I felt bass and treble were rolled off. It may have been a symptom of pronounced mids, it was a loaner and I didn't take it further.

Khozmo's been here a few days and I've sold it to buy a Hattor (Khozmo's hi-end brand). I can see it being here long term and I really want full remote. Clarity and detail in abundance, it really has opened the curtains to what's going on.
Quite a surprise after many years with an Avondale modded 102.
 
DCG3 - I have a Perreaux Eloquence 250i 40th Anniversary Integrated amp and using the DCG3 (even with an Alps Blue pot) I am struggling to tell the difference when I use the DCG3 in place of the Perreaux Preamp stage. I've owned a lot of amps over the years and consider the Perreaux as one of the best. Here's an almost complete picture of the inside (complete with Pi/Boss/Isolator Streamer):

dcg3-3.jpg
 
Rosewind said:
The Hattor ... which one will you be getting?
Click to expand...
Mini one with expensive opamps. 3/6/9 dB switchable gain with remote source and volume controls.

The Khozmo I’ve just sold has ladder/relay volume control, I think the Hattor has stepped attenuator. Both with Vishay resistors.
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0xdqwg6o6mh2q91/Finmez1.JPG?dl=0
Can you tell me if this is a DCB1? I made it a year ago using a board I got ages ago with some hacker items I wanted. It was my first preamp attempt and it sounded pretty good as I recall. Not sure how much of that was due to the Goldpoint SA which I had previously used in a 72. Its character I would describe as lean, clear and sparse compared to my 52.
I am a bit reluctant to use it as I don’t have Vellemans in my Naim system.
 
Chrisn: It is a "mesmerize" board Pass DCB1, it seems. I still haven't got my head around the differences between a hypnotize and a mesmerize board. Your impression of the sound is similar to mine. Very clear and leaner than my previous Herron VTSP2a preamp. So you don't mix and match Naim with DIY?

killie99: I used to have a soft spot for Perreaux, and I must say that your Perreaux 250i looks like a well-made piece of kit. There is one for sale at a Danish dealer's for a little less than 3000£. I am not buying. A hypnotise build would roughly cost 20% of that if bought as a completed build (I think).

LDR impressions (other than Arkless)?
B4 impressions?
BPBP?
DCG3?
 
My 250i is the 40th Anniversary edition with the Sabre ESS 9038Pro DAC, ridiculously expensive when new (around £8k!). My DCG3 cost me about £500 to build and that includes the Rpi/DAC.
 
Eh, ok. I looked at that and immediately thought that with so many components it would have to be the Perreaux preamp that you had showed topless. Thanks! I am even more impressed with the Salas' DCG3 pre then. :eek:
 
I’ll label up the picture of the DCG3 so you can see what all the parts are, it’ll be tomorrow sometime before I have time.
 
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