2. amps-preamps
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Is no preamp the best preamp of all?

As an experiment I hooked up my OPPO BDP-95 (which has a volume control) directly to my amp. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear a significant improvement in clarity and sound quality. Typically I have the analog outputs on the OPPO running through my preamp in Analog Direct. I have heard that the circuitry within preamps can cause cross-talk in the analog signal, deteriorating the quality of the signal. So, would having no preamp (and therefore no other circuits to interfere with the signal) be better than an expensive analog or digital preamp running in Analog Direct? I am not really interested in Room Correction or DSP of any kind. I was considering purchasing a Bel Canto PRe6 (which I've read is excellent for multichannel analog), but would it be better to just have the OPPO running directly to the power amp?
128x128cdj123
hifihvn
943 posts
 
It doesn't always work this way, otherwise you'd see most everyone here doing it. Even the ones that spend over 500k for their system.
trebejo
102 posts
 
No preamp is better than bad preamp (just like spouses).
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,555 posts
 
If your current system sounds better without a preamp then that's the way you should listen to it. If you find a preamp that makes your system sound better, use it.

There are plenty of people who don't use a preamp and plenty who prefer having a preamp in their system. There's no one answer for everybody.
inna
7,268 posts
 
Trebejo, your analogy or correlation is the most intriguing.
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