Match for these speakers and amp?

[Donzi]

Hello all, I know the golden rule is to listen and self-decide, but I'm new into audio, having just purchased a set of speakers (Thiel 3.6) and amp (Bryston 4B SST. 300wpc.) And I'm in search of a preamp -- which led me here. Bonus, would be the ability to actually build it. So this intrigues me. I am told that the Thiel speakers are very accurate/bright/revealing/harsh, and I've heard the same terms for the Bryston -- and I've heard all this advice coupled with the observation that tube preamps tend to make a nice match for such electronics. The efficiency of the speakers is low-average: 86db. (And I've read here on the board that the one known mismatch for this BeePre is high efficiency, high power -- whatever that all constitutes.) The room is 27'x37'x9' with rug, with listening area in the right half of that space.

So at risk of hijacking my own thread even before it begins, let me ask my set of questions all in one place:

--For any who may know those speakers and amp (or just the specs), any recommendations yea/nay for this kit, for me?

--I was seeking a minimum of four inputs. Is it possible to add extra RCA's (and likely required, switch) to the design, or does this screw with circuitry? Might either RCA's or switch be available here?

--A little more technical: Although I'm primarily going to listen to music, I was initially seeking an HT passthrough. Is it possible to simply straight-wire a set of wires from another RCA straight through to the (ideally, Balanced) outputs? Or does this WAY screw with the circuitry?

--I see the 300b tubes as an option. Is the option for all tubes, or just the two 300B? Are the other tubes not included? Are they readily available elsewhere? Is there a list for these?

--In this and similar plans, I see pairs of wires often twisted together. Is this simply to keep like-destination wires together? Or does this work to negate current fields created in current flow?

Thanks!

[Paul Birkeland]

(And I've read here on the board that the one known mismatch for this BeePre is high efficiency, high power -- whatever that all constitutes.)

86dB speakers and a 300W amp aren't particularly concerning, provided the amp doesn't have insane gain (it's probably around 30dB).

--For any who may know those speakers and amp (or just the specs), any recommendations yea/nay for this kit, for me?
 

Any of the preamp kits should work well in your system.

--I was seeking a minimum of four inputs. Is it possible to add extra RCA's (and likely required, switch) to the design, or does this screw with circuitry? Might either RCA's or switch be available here?
 

This really depends on the particular preamp.  We switch both signal hot and ground, which requires 4 poles on the input selector.  For nearly all switches, the maximum number of positions on a single deck is 12, so this leaves us with three inputs.  To get four inputs, you will need a 2 deck rotary switch or two forego switching signal ground.

--A little more technical: Although I'm primarily going to listen to music, I was initially seeking an HT passthrough. Is it possible to simply straight-wire a set of wires from another RCA straight through to the (ideally, Balanced) outputs? Or does this WAY screw with the circuitry?
 

This is certainly a possibility, but if you're intending to add an additional set of inputs and a pass through, you are going to be out of chassis space with most of our designs.  Adding this externally to the preamp is no a problem, however.

--I see the 300b tubes as an option. Is the option for all tubes, or just the two 300B? Are the other tubes not included? Are they readily available elsewhere? Is there a list for these?
 

The preamp uses 300B's and EL84's.  We include EL84's with both options.

--In this and similar plans, I see pairs of wires often twisted together. Is this simply to keep like-destination wires together? Or does this work to negate current fields created in current flow?
 

It can be both to keep certain wires together, and additionally to reduce EMI.

[Donzi]

I was initially seeking a minimum of four inputs. Is it possible to add extra RCA's (and a likely needed different switch) to the design, or does this screw with circuitry?

More importantly, I'm primarily going to listen to music, and was seeking an HT passthrough. Is it possible to simply straight-wire a set of wires from one of the RCAs straight through to the outputs? Or does this WAY screw with the circuitry?

Thanks!

[Paul Birkeland]

I was initially seeking a minimum of four inputs. Is it possible to add extra RCA's (and a likely needed different switch) to the design, or does this screw with circuitry?

More importantly, I'm primarily going to listen to music, and was seeking an HT passthrough. Is it possible to simply straight-wire a set of wires from one of the RCAs straight through to the outputs? Or does this WAY screw with the circuitry?

Thanks!

See my answers in the post just before this one.

-PB

[Donzi]

[Donzi; concerning my HT pass through question:]

This is certainly a possibility, but if you're intending to add an additional set of inputs and a pass through, you are going to be out of chassis space with most of our designs.  Adding this externally to the preamp is no a problem, however.

Thanks Paul,

Sorry for the multiple asks of the question. I had originally thought I had peppered too much in one question, confusing the whole issue, and tried to put that one as a separate question.

The switching for four leads, including the ground on each of the inputs, I presume is for better, cleaner signal, rather than combining grounds, right? So, is the three-input (w/ separate ground for each) vastly preferable to moving to more RCA inputs, and foregoing switching grounds? Or is it closer to a "pick-em"?

On the BeePre picture, it seems that the kit has two open holes (if I see this right.) If I simply stick with three inputs, might this be used (without going to an external solution) for an additional set of RCA inputs that might be ported to passthrough output? Or does the space underneath prohibit this? And on this passthrough, would it be simply a pair of wires (three or more with ground?) from the RCAs straight to the amp output? Or is the circuit more complicated than this, resistors, diodes, etc? And the external solution that you suggest, would that be internally configured wires/jacks that come out of the box into whatever solution? Or would this simply be possible post-outputs? I can't envision how this might be done. And, perhaps as an alternate question and solution, is it simply possible to take an output into a "Y" somehow, with preamp output going into one Y end, and HT output going into another, with the single output then going to the amp? Or does such a suggestion significantly degrade the signal? If that would work without degrading signal, it would seem to be the most elegant solution: turn on BeePre for music; turn off BeePre, and turn on HT, for DVDs.

[Donzi]

And given choice, would XLR always be a preferable output to RCA? I have both options with my amp.