Now if you have a DAC with multiple inputs and a volume control on it, designed to drive an amp directly, the simple fact is you have a line stage with a DAC built in. But like it always works when you integrate things like that, if you want to improve the DAC, you'll be changing the line stage too.I have owned a DAC with a passive VC, but do not remember seeing one with an active stage. I am surprised manufacturers of those DACs with VC don’t provide a unity gain buffered output. Could be a second pair of output jacks, or maybe switched, passive/buffered. The passive crowd wouldn’t see the need, but some might be surprised with the outcome of a direct comparison.
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That’s because most dac’s with VC’s do it in the digital domain, yours was a rare one to have a passive VC on it’s output inside the dac, and that would have had to have been after an active buffer anyway, as if not, then it would have had to be after the I/V (current to voltage converter stage) and that would not have been a good idea.. The ones that have VC’s in the digital domain, all have active output buffers, unity or with gain, as did yours, but it was before the passive VC on the output, what brand model was it?? Cheers George |
mitch2 Interesting, it has to quote: "The clever implementation of the volume control by lowering or raising the reference voltage "in the converters" is something I have never seen before and works flawlessly." " And, its volume control is neither conventional analog nor lossy digital." This to me means you would definitely have an I/V (current to voltage converter) stage after the R2R dac chip set, and then also an output buffer with or without gain. It’s output impedance is <100ohms SE at 2v output, which means it has an output buffer, and is a great candidate for direct to amp connection, and no problem with your SMc monos 10kohm input impedance, they only need 1v in, for full peak wattage output So Mitch, get rid of all those preamps you have
Cheers George |
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