Preamp help for First Watt F3

> My requirements are pretty simple, just a pre with the usual
> set of digital inputs. USB would be nice but not required.

Most 2-channel preamps do not also function as a DAC.

Having said that, I would recommend the Modwright LS-100, which does not yet have an option for a built-in DAC, but is expected to within the next few months. Of course, you could always just get the DAC separately. So many choices for DACs these days, I'd probably decouple the buying decision.

The LS-100 has an output impedance of 300 ohms, which should be plenty low enough for the 10K input Z First Watt F3. I've had a few First Watt amplifiers through here, and several Modwright components, although funnily enough, not at the same time. Nevertheless, I think this would be a good pairing based on overall impressions of the two manufacturers.

Another option may be to get a DAC which is optimized to not require a preamp. If you have no analog input requirements for your preamp, perhaps the NAD M51 or the PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC MK2 would do the trick for you.

Correction: Modwright LS-100 has DAC option available now, either shipped with unit or added to already shipped units.

Thanks for the info. I actually don't need any analog inputs. All digital is fine. The LS-100 might be a bit overkill considering all the inputs/outputs it has. The NAD M51 looks interesting but can it actually compete with the LS-100 or Perfectwave?

I like the idea of just getting a DAC with volume control but don't know of too many (especially high end) that offer this.

Some DACs that are reputed to function well without a preamp are:

PS Audio PerfectWave DAC (MKI and MKII)
NAD M51 (reviews on the Australia and UK based boards are overwhelmingly positive)
Mytek Stereo 192
Antelope Zodiac Plus (and the more expensive Gold)
Berkeley Alpha
Weiss DAC 202

I own the PS Audio PWD MKII and am perfectly happy with it. If your source is computer based, they've made some great strides with dithered digital volume control with some of the software based players like Audirvana, JPlay, and PureMusic, so you may find you don't even need the DAC to support remote volume control.

Just check the output impedance of all the recs that wilysnet just gave you. Some digital sources can have higher output impedances than what is common for preamps (though that may not be the case for these digital sources with volume control. I do not know).