Importance of Amplifier versus Preamp?

Here is the answer .what came first ? The chicken ? or the egg ?

"02-01-15: Maplegrovemusic
Here is the answer .what came first ? The chicken ? or the egg ?"

Neither. Its a trick question. The cables came first.

02-01-15: Maplegrovemusic
"Here is the answer.what came first?The chicken? or the egg?"

The rooster came first... ; ^)

I've noticed that you can ask a question, sometimes specific, and get 10 different good answers or oppinions.

It sounds like Al was the only one to research the op's set up. Im too lazy to do that so I commend Al, lol.

I agree with Mofi, Al and Mapman.

Hey Al, how are his dac's? Im thinking that might be a useful upgrade around $300-$500 of the budget...

B_limo, thank you kindly. Regarding DACs, as you may have seen the OP doesn't have a separate DAC per se. He has the built-in DAC function of his CDP, and a DAC function that is provided in his vintage Sony preamp. I had suggested earlier in the thread that it might be worthwhile to compare sonics between the CDP's analog outputs and connection of the CDP's digital output to the Sony's digital input via a digital cable.

Regarding the purchase of a separate DAC component in the price range you mentioned, it's hard to say. A concern I would have, though, is that whatever benefit that DAC may potentially be able to provide might be limited by some combination of the jitter, electrical noise, and impedance inaccuracy of the CDP's digital output. A lot of people here and elsewhere have reported that digital transports often seem to make more of a difference than DACs.

Best regards,
-- Al