"What does this tell me?
That absolutely the ls preamp is adding its own sonic signature to the mix, in theory that equates to probably a more "dirty" sound but to me this was the sound I preferred."
I disagree. What it tells you is that the volume control - i.e. PREAMP - in the Esoteric is not nearly as good as the ARC. If anything, the signal after the Esoteric preamp is clipped and muddied in ways you probably can't even comprehend.
Most digital components that offer a "volume control" are thrown in as a ploy to get you to pony up thinking "hey I can save $$ by not needing a preamp". There's no free lunch, and a good preamp is crucial to a high performance system IMO. :)
That absolutely the ls preamp is adding its own sonic signature to the mix, in theory that equates to probably a more "dirty" sound but to me this was the sound I preferred."
I disagree. What it tells you is that the volume control - i.e. PREAMP - in the Esoteric is not nearly as good as the ARC. If anything, the signal after the Esoteric preamp is clipped and muddied in ways you probably can't even comprehend.
Most digital components that offer a "volume control" are thrown in as a ploy to get you to pony up thinking "hey I can save $$ by not needing a preamp". There's no free lunch, and a good preamp is crucial to a high performance system IMO. :)