DAC instead of Pre-amp

There is the Peachtree Nova with multiple digital and analog inputs. But it also has an amp built in. Would be nice if there were more pre-amp/dac combo options out there: a single place to manage your sources.

Is that what the new PS Audio PerfectWave DAC is?

Seriously consider Paul's new Tad Predac, it's supposed to be outstanding and betters the old Tadac

I'd like to weigh in here because I've been doing some experimenting lately and I think what I've heard might be helpful. I have owned a Meitner BiDat that has it's own volume regulator and, for years, I have run it directly into various amps via balanced cables. The clarity and articulation are stunning. HOWEVER, I have read few articles about preamps that convinced me to try a tube based preamplifier now that I've upgraded my speakers (Thiel CS3.7's). I was a complete skeptic but a buddy of mine in our local audio society brought over a VTL 5.5 tube preamp and we hooked it up. I was dumbfounded. The sound is more three dimensional, digital edge is reduced and the pacing is, for lack of a better term, more musical. I was dead set against this because now I have to buy a preamp and my budget is stretched. Now, I am sure that there are a whole host of preamps that might not improve your particular set up. I may have lucked out with the VTL. I plan on trying Musical Fidelity and Audio Research before I buy. Anyway, I thought you'd want to hear form a died-in-the-wool-who-needs-a-preamp skeptic like me.

Vhiner

hear hear!

I'd be interested in hearing just how many folks with those top level preamps, dumped them to go straight DAC to amp instead.

Your experiences are my own, although in reverse. nevertheless, I feel likewise. The body texture, and dimensionality all were natily developed, increased, or improved upon by the use of the Thor preamp.

I'd love to exp what things could sound like with your DAC vs. my own. I feel that is the bottleneck in digital only systems always... the DAC.

Even running directly into my tube amps with the BC DAC3, something remains left out IMO.

Albeit... if, as with yourself, you've not experienced it you simply won't know... not knowing isn't all bad either. Very often though, it's way less expensive... which is my point exactly.