Connecting a DAC directly to an amp?

With many of the newer high bit DACs (e.g. 32 bit) and depending on the input sensitivity of the amp (typically about 26 dB), and with about 12 dB attenuation per bit, even with the typical maximum 24 bits for most hi rez formats, one would most likely still have an abundance of bits available to negate the concern of bit stripping.

It’s not a 32bit ESS dac it’s a NOS R2R dac so yes even "bit stripping" could have been the biggest factor as well now you’ve bought it up, with 4v!!! output because of volume being set too low. His amps only need 1.2v for full output!!

From the manual total gain setting switches of the output V at full volume which he probably didn’t open it up to do .

Attenuation switches: Depending the input sensitivity of the used power amplifier the output of the Adagio can be reduced with -10dB.

Cheers George

My bad!. I was thinking in terms of the typical, not the OPs specifics.
Never mind🥺

Guys,
The Adagio does not bit strip, the volume control operates by changing the reference voltage so is not actually in the signal path.  The minus 10dB is optioned by a switch on the back and I do not have that engaged.  I am hearing the same thing I heard when comparing the same gear DAC direct vs. through the preamp/buffer into my Clayton M300s, which had an input impedance of 100K ohms.
We could argue about whether I should hear it or not, or whether it is because of the amps, but it doesn't change what I consistently hear.  To be clear, the sound of the Adagio directly into the amps is really good, but it sounds better through the buffer/preamp first.   
The input impedance of the amplifiers is just another example of why it is important to understand your gear and how it all has to work together.  Regardless of the input impedance, the amps are the best I have owned/heard out of some very well regarded amps such as Lamm M1.2 Reference, Clayton M300s, Heron M1As, and Acoustic Imagery NC1200 amps.  Virtually any active buffer or preamp will have a low enough output impedance to easily drive those amplifiers - a small price to pay for the best sound I have heard in my room.

George, I thought Chord used FPGAs.