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cdp digital volume control or preamp?

Hello Gon'ers!
I am currently running my Music Hall Maverick SACD player, which has a remote volume control (digital) directly into a Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amp. It sounds very good, but I wondered if I would get better sound going through a good pre-amp. What do you all think? Some suggestions for pre-amps that match well with my existing gear would be welcome, too.

Cheers.
tfkaudio
tfkaudio OP
591 posts
 
So, Lousyreeds1, a pre-amp is the way to go?
tfkaudio OP
591 posts
 
Something else to chew on... this is my upstairs system and there is only one source component. Since I don't need the source switching functions of a pre-amp, is there another alternative to the digital volume control besides a pre-amp?
dolfan
109 posts
 
This is a little off topic but this is the reason I did not buy the APL modded CD/SACD player. It is volume controlled digitally, Alex called it non decimating if I remember correctly, whereas Dan's Modwright Sony CD/SACD player has a high quality analog volume control. This is the one I bought. It sounds very good IMHO.
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,029 posts
 
Dolfan,I am glad you are happy.How about the De Havilland
preamp?
lousyreeds1's avatar
lousyreeds1
286 posts
 
Sorry, jerky of me to shoot something down without answering the question! It doesn't necessarily need to be a preamp- I believe you can simply add an outboard analog volume control. That said, I don't know if there are any quality ones made. And as Blkadr mentioned, you can consider passive v active preamps.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could send SACD through that Birdland??
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