Who needs a Preamp??

Seriously, if you’ve already set your reference point so low, you are probably seeing the expense of adding a decent preamp, power cord etc. a waste of money, right?

The VC in players or DAC are purpose built. IMHO, they can never equal or replace the SQ upgrade comes from a high quality preamp not to mention the increased functionality.

Buy a cheap pre and it will degrade or yield no improvement in the SQ vs going direct. Buy a high quality preamp and you will never go back to serviceable VC in OPPO or PS Audio.

Direct without preamp is better, except when it isn't.  :) 

douglas_schroeder2,015 posts10-28-2019 11:02amDirect without preamp is better, except when it isn't.  :)

Hey, I was about to say that, no fair !!!

Doug said it best. I will say The Truth preamp has been a revelation to me over the last three weeks. It is a zero gain, active input preamp that for the first time in my audio experience, sounds better in many ways, to many big dollar active tube and SS preamps I have owned. It has an output impedance of some 3 ohms and an input impedance in the stratosphere! No caps or resistors or volume control in the signal path.

It seems to deliver all the sonic benefits of a great passive without most of limitations of system synergy. The dynamics are there and is doesn’t suffer from the thinner sound I find with many passives.  

So who makes a passive preamp with balanced ins and outs, two outputs that are active at same time, multiple inputs for various components?