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What makes a bigger change, dac or preamp?

Hello everyone,

I would first like to start by thanking everyone for the help and apologize for exhausting this question but I I was hoping everyone can educate a slightly confused hobbyist. Recently brought Quad 12l active which is being feed by Squeezebox Touch. I have being using the Touch as a preamp which is not the ideal setup.

Now what is honestly confusing me is the entire upgrade path. On one end, I have people telling me the next step should be a DAC to add to the Touch. On another end, I have people telling that the very first thing I have to do is get the volume control away from the touch and by a good preamp or just straight volume control unit like the Warpspeed optocoupler.

Most agree that separates is the best way to spend my money.

MY question to everyone, which will affect the sound the best period. What makes a better upgrade path?
daimbert
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Yes, the DAC is at the front (and I do believe you have to look from front to end,
since you can't undo what is messed up early in the chain), but what if the
differences between DACs are so small, that qualitative variance is relatively
minor between competent DACs, while differences between preamps are more
significant and easily discerned by comparison when listening? I think this is in
fact the case. But perhaps others might hear things differently.
gbmcleod
509 posts
 
Pubul:
I'd certainly think that, if the DACs are similar in quality and the rest of the system is "colored" enough, it would hide the differences. That's the problem, isn't it? If a system is built to sound "beautiful," the preamp will most likely reveal more differences. If it is put together to sound "uncolored," then I would say the DACs WILL sound different enough that it is the DAC and then, equally, the preamp, that will reveal differences in the system.
It truly does boil down to that, and your suggestion is every bit as valid as mine.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Beauty or truth - to paradigms for system building, and possibly to key to the variety of opinions we get on the same piece of equipment.

I liked the quote in the February issue of TAS, Neil Gader interviews John McDonald of Audience, and he said something that somehow seems related to this idea:

"At Audience,the Golden Rule is 'first, do no harm,' defining harm as any deviation to the original recording. So high-end to me and to the Audience team is about staying true to the music. Sound-sculpting should be left to the recording artists and engineers"

Do no harm - a good way to describe it, and as we know, preamps can do a lot of "harm", more so than most DACs IME. Oh, then we have cables:)
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