Wadia S7i direct to amp

@paperw8 have you tried what you are explaining?
It's just, the statement by krellfan might not be wholly unexptected, if the pre substitutes something otherwise missing.
As to me: I did not fully like my 781 into Berning. But of course i will try again with the coming S7i.
Wish me luck for not needing a pre anymore. Wouldn't that be neat?

..thanks for your clarification! Good to know there is background behind a statement ;-)
I cannot judge 381 vs s7i, they will have similar problems.
Interesting point about the Digital pre - but:
isn't it always the case with a DAC giving out the full power (i.e. 100%),
or you mean to say, they could make a purist version without attenuation sounding - pure?
My technical background is too small to judge this..

I am getting fairly tired of people knowing more than other people, that includes people who actually know, but use 3million words to say so, or manufacterers who have a double agenda, maybe a'gon has its limits.
I approach a system of simplicity, staying with my merlins and my berning power amp, source either wadia s7i direct, or sometimes TT Elite Rock with a Berning pre,
so I guess I just have to take both roads; and being a musician, I plan to be utterly happy with both.
mr dennis indeed never chimed in anymore, so what was that about?

I enjoy the s7i direct to berning zh230 driving stella Opus/novus speaker System, dont miss a thing!

hi rtn et al.

of course, the ongoing presumption is, that I am indeed missing something when going direct.

I wanted to make a point in saying I cannot hear it.

Of course I hear that it sounds different with a pre, but better? (I use a new Berning tube pre (ZOTL), too rare to be widely known, and an Audiopax M5, highly regarded in its public days).
And luckily, I am not yet deaf: as a violinist I live by hearing and acting on it - this is not too scare anybody away from disagreeing with me ;-)

If you will, check out the Wadia S9 review by Rtn1, I offered a Pre-light version, by using an Audio Consulting silver rock TVC, which is usually in one position allowing Wadia's volume setting between 92-100, the silver rocks control only changed if the input's volume is highly different.

I dare you all to hear the difference between 100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94 settings!!

all the best, e

It's all a question of relevance; I am a musician, so either in pleasure or in business I want to, or have to listen exactly, if so; I can always move the Passives volume control by hand using the W with 100%, at any other time when it is not essential I "do not hear" the difference, may that be because of casual listening, or because we are watching a film etc.
The actual important bit of my notion is that putting the Silver Rock TVC into the equation does not reduce quality, but increases practicality, it is my personal solution to those eternal discussions "Wadia direct or with pre"

all the best, E