CD direct to amp vs active preamp

Dear Rockhead,

Some CD players have built-in volume controls. These can be operated using knobs or buttons on the CD player or buttons on the CD players' remotes. Often the manufacturer will describe the volume control as digital or analog. Analog is better. Digital works by discarding some musical information to attenuate the volume. This can cause audible degradation in the sound. If your CD player doesn't have volume control capability, you need a preamp or a different CD player.

Sean, with your interest in recording, you should take a peek at the Z-Systems rdp-1 digital pre-amp/equalizer. While expensive at $5K, it's da bomb. Charlie

Contrary to the general opinions here, my Levinson 39 was working great into Levinson 20.6 monoblocks... UNTIL I put a burmester preamp between them... There is NO comparison - the preamp was better in Every Single Possible Way.

And why shouldn't it be? You have a CD player with, say, 1/5 of the price going into a little preamp section versus a dedicated preamp costing twice (retail) what the CD player cost, 10 times more than the itty bitty CD preamp. And more money does buy you great sounding music, if not love :-)

Count me among those who run the Accuphase DP-75V directly into the amp. Like Kelly, I too sold my preamp which at the time was a Rowland Synergy II (previous to latest surface mount board technology) powered by Rowland's own battery power supply (BPS2?). I believe this rig retailed somewhere around $8000-9,000 at the time, yet the DP-75V running direct (into Rowland Model 10 amp) sounded better. IMO a lot of money for swiching and balance functions.

I auditioned the following setups at dealer showroom.

Pass Labs x-350, Wadia 860, Thiel 2.3’s, and Pass Labs x-0.

I preferred the x-0 in the chain to the Wadia direct. The Wadia sounded thin and digital with their preamp section.

Pass Labs x-350, Wadia 860, Thiel 2.3’s, and Pass Labs d1 and x-0.

I much preferred the d1 without having the x-0 in the chain. Smoother sound, with a better overall presentation.

Mark Levinson 39, 36’s, and Martin Logan Prodigy .

Very musical. Overall did not like the presentation and did not purchase the 39.

As always it’s a matter of personal choice and system dependent.