So as i sit here tonight listening to the DCS VIVALDI connected to my luxman 900 u amp i realize that at this level there is a HUUUUUUUUUGE law of diminishing returns. I can HONESTLY SAY that having a DCS Vivaldi and using it as a preamp pretty much puts in your hands a dac that beats probably 60-70% of the preamps out in the market today and the 30% of the preamps that can beat this dac probably cost as much if not more than this dac. Right now, and although it is a preliminary feeling, i could easy sell the Ayre Preamp RIGHT NOW and any other preamp i have owned and use that money instead to buy the clock for the vivaldi and more AES, BNC cables for the dac to elevate it.
Here is what i have gathered after living with the DCS Vivaldi:
1.A WELL DESIGNED DAC is probably able to do a 2 men job: Dac & Preamp AS LONG AS YOU LISTEN within reasonable volume levels
2. If you need horsepower, big volume levels, your room is huge and needs to spread a ton of air in order to fill it, no dac will EVER best a well designed preamp when it comes to this.
In short, let’s say you have 30k to spend and you are thinking this:
1. 30k DAC
2. 15K PREAMP 15K DAC
3. 20K PREAMP AND 10 DAC
If you have a small room, don’t listen at pretty big volume levels, go with option #1 10 times out of 10.
If you have a relatively large room, big speakers, sit back pretty far, have other sources that you need to connect such as a turntable, etc then go for option #2 or #3.
I FINALLY ACCEPT TODAY that no preamp, HAS EVER bested a dac when it comes to the purity and detail at low level listening. EVER, EVER EVER and if that preamp exists, i have not met it and to be TOTALLY honest, WHY would i spend another 20,30, 40k to hear THE SAME THING that i am already getting at low volume levels? it is stupid. Save your money people.
In short, and the take away from this should be that your volume level and room determine what works best as a preamp.
I almost spent a pretty penny by buying some top end xlr cables to go from my dac into the Ayre and then use my odin xlr from the ayre into the amp, but i hit the brakes instead because i want to first convince myself that a preamp is indeed what i need to have here. Don’t be surprised if i end up moving forward with just a Dac and completely killing the idea of a preamp for me, my room and listening habits as of late.
Yes, i still own the Ref6SE, Luxman 900u preamp and now the Ayre KXR TWENTY so i have more than enough to make a decision when it comes to owning a preamp. If i decide not to, you all can be sure that i did ENOUGH testing and listening of my own that i just don’t need a preamp anymore. Granted, i have serious cables and a supporting cast for this dac that really makes it work that much better, but i need to feel like having all this money tied up in a preamp is indeed worth it because i am getting something i can not live without and this will be the exercise i need to endure over the next few weeks.
This Ayre Preamp will be the final nail in the coffin for me. If this preamp STILL does not convince me to keep it for at least a few months then i will sell all my preamps and close the "preamp" conversation for me. Yes i will still try a preamp here and there because i want to try whatever new preamps come out and nothin else. Remember, for me the investment is rather large and if a preamp CAN’T do MORE than what my dac already does then that is redundant for me and i rather put this money on something else like a second pair of speakers, etc.
Here is what i have gathered after living with the DCS Vivaldi:
1.A WELL DESIGNED DAC is probably able to do a 2 men job: Dac & Preamp AS LONG AS YOU LISTEN within reasonable volume levels
2. If you need horsepower, big volume levels, your room is huge and needs to spread a ton of air in order to fill it, no dac will EVER best a well designed preamp when it comes to this.
In short, let’s say you have 30k to spend and you are thinking this:
1. 30k DAC
2. 15K PREAMP 15K DAC
3. 20K PREAMP AND 10 DAC
If you have a small room, don’t listen at pretty big volume levels, go with option #1 10 times out of 10.
If you have a relatively large room, big speakers, sit back pretty far, have other sources that you need to connect such as a turntable, etc then go for option #2 or #3.
I FINALLY ACCEPT TODAY that no preamp, HAS EVER bested a dac when it comes to the purity and detail at low level listening. EVER, EVER EVER and if that preamp exists, i have not met it and to be TOTALLY honest, WHY would i spend another 20,30, 40k to hear THE SAME THING that i am already getting at low volume levels? it is stupid. Save your money people.
In short, and the take away from this should be that your volume level and room determine what works best as a preamp.
I almost spent a pretty penny by buying some top end xlr cables to go from my dac into the Ayre and then use my odin xlr from the ayre into the amp, but i hit the brakes instead because i want to first convince myself that a preamp is indeed what i need to have here. Don’t be surprised if i end up moving forward with just a Dac and completely killing the idea of a preamp for me, my room and listening habits as of late.
Yes, i still own the Ref6SE, Luxman 900u preamp and now the Ayre KXR TWENTY so i have more than enough to make a decision when it comes to owning a preamp. If i decide not to, you all can be sure that i did ENOUGH testing and listening of my own that i just don’t need a preamp anymore. Granted, i have serious cables and a supporting cast for this dac that really makes it work that much better, but i need to feel like having all this money tied up in a preamp is indeed worth it because i am getting something i can not live without and this will be the exercise i need to endure over the next few weeks.
This Ayre Preamp will be the final nail in the coffin for me. If this preamp STILL does not convince me to keep it for at least a few months then i will sell all my preamps and close the "preamp" conversation for me. Yes i will still try a preamp here and there because i want to try whatever new preamps come out and nothin else. Remember, for me the investment is rather large and if a preamp CAN’T do MORE than what my dac already does then that is redundant for me and i rather put this money on something else like a second pair of speakers, etc.