2. amps-preamps
  3. 1182479362

Best Preamp = No Preamp?

I'm currently looking for some DACs. I'm looking at Benchmark DAC1, Bel Canto DAC3, Slim Devices Transporter, etc...

I noticed most of these newest high performance DACs have built in volume control with remote.

I'm thinking that I can connect these DACs directly to my Power Amp skipping preamp.

Is that right thinking? Why go through additional peice of device when I can avoid? Anybody doing it that way?

What'll be the pros and cons?

eandylee
sorlowski
236 posts
 
When had AA Cap mkII connected directly to Clayton M100 it sounded somehow uninvolving , dry, but after tubed Supratek Chenin was added to the chain it changed to magic, sound was musical, alive. I tried some cheap passive preamp it was disaster, much worse them without preamp.
I could neither believe nor understand how few resistors can damage sound so much.
I tried some cheap ($1000-1500) solid state preamps it was different or worse then direct. So in my experience good quality tube preamp is greatly recommended.
dpac996's avatar
dpac996
716 posts
 
GOOD vacuum tube preamps seem to be common with a truly captivating, inviting sound.
I think we all seem to agree on that, more or less.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
My experience has been on the pro-preamp side as well. As to preamp flavors, I'm fine with that as well. I've recently owned CAT,LAMM and Placette Active and Passives. The main problem with the direct approach is that the quality of the volume controls are very poor compared with those on great preamps, so even if it is direct, the distortion of a less than great volume control is very harmful more harmful than the additonal stages and ICs with a pre. As Atmasphere points out the ability to drive the amps through the interconnects, and I'm not talking about gain here, my Placette Active has no gain, but it provides a very low output impedance while buffering the source. A great passive with a great volume control with the right IC and amp can also work very effectively, in this case simply by providing a SOTA volume control (e.g., Placette RVC, Bent, etc). A DAC direct is a fine place to start, but ulitmately I think you will come to the preamp school.
jim_swantko
301 posts
 
I echo the sentiments that a pre-amp is one of the most important components you can have. Get a good one or don't get one at all.

I love what tubes in the pre have done for my system.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,443 posts
 
DACs you mentioned, I think you're better off getting a tube preamp. If you want to go without preamp, consider Mark Levinson or Wadia cd players. Otherwise, with Bel Canto and Benchmark I think you will benefit from a preamp, especially a tubed one. You will get better soundstage and overall timbre of instruments.
Also, FWIW, I would take Bel Canto over Benchmark. Keep in mind that Benchmark is a recording studio tool.
It will be very detailed and may make some CDs unlistenable, depending on the rest of your system. If the system is revealing now, I'd go for Bel Canto.
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