i've got a carver 1.0t and am currently running an older kenwood model basic C2 pre-amp. the amp is just fine, as is the pre-amp but the pre is starting to go. i was wondering what would be a good match to the carver, something with a remote and some newer features, like a dedicated sub out(not sure if thats even a regular thing in stereo pre's)
Good luck with that. Especially with that budget. Unless your buying used, your gonna have a hard time finding one. At one point in my travels when looking for a new pre amp i came across a Sony which had what i was looking for in a pre. Finally decided after searching for months this would be the unit i was going to buy if i bought a new one. Looked into the price. A whopping 2300 dollars for it. That price made my mind up for me.
Emotiva makes a stereo preamp w/bass managment in the form of hi-pass outputs...to your regular amp/speakers and lo-pass, which goes to powered sub. Balanced and unbalanced outputs are featured. The quality of Emotiva is unknown. I've been looking along similar lines, since my preamp is maybe as old as yours, in the form of a NAD1700 from mid/late '80s. I have also had the OUTLAW RR2150 recommended to me for use as a preamp....good features and price with an amp tossed in for free.
The other, more expensive alternative for 2.1 is to use a HT pre/pro in '2ch mode'....which seems quite a waste of circuitry/money/