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Wadia 302 CD Player- Into power amp directly ?

I recently purchased a Wadia 302 CD player and have been using it with my Pathos Integrated amp, using the pre amp section of the integrated. I was reading that the Wadia can be connected directly to the power part of the amp and bypass the pre-amp. Does this typically improve the sound of the system? The pre amp section of my integrated has tubes. Do most people who have a cd player that can go directly into the power amp bypass the pre-amp? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
pettyfeversk
blakeaudio
40 posts
 
Bombaywalla explained it better than i ever could have. i have had it explained to me a couple of times and as Bombaywalla said, it's the upsampled bits that are used for volume control, so it doesn't for the top part of the volume range, affect sound quality. to be honest it's a hell of a lot better than sticking a pot in the signal path!
merge038346
73 posts
 
Many high end pre-amps due not employ a potentiometer as a volume control. Some use a high quality resistor ladder instead. So comaprisons have to be a little more detailed.
fatcrider5fbc
21 posts
 
Everytime I've heard a comparison between a Wadia (or any other cd player w/volume control) direct to amp vs. preamp, I have strongly preferred using the preamp.
markone8a55
30 posts
 
For what's worth, I'm using a 301 with a tube VTL 5.5 pre and a Plinius 102 power amp. And to my ears that's the best option. Í tried the "direct" option, and the sound lost some of its weight, soundstaging was flatter and became a little brighter. A lot of it may depend on your preamp. And if your power amp prefers direct feeds. Peter Thompson, from Plinius, says his amps don't like direct feeds...and he's right.
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