Pre or no pre?

[NotaSuv]

Any benefit in going from a cd player to a dac to amp or going from cd to dac to pre......or better just to upgrade the source and go right to pre to amp...looking for a dedicated system 2 channel using a cd player..nothing set in concrete at this time...have read pros and cons on both setups just looking for alittle more advice from those that know ALOT more than clueless me..thanks

yes I realize that not every dac is capable of that.....and yes I realize those dacs cost a bit more....

[heiney9]

I don't know. Depends on your listening habits. Going w/o a pre amp or strictly passive has advantages, but one disadvantage I've found running in passive (straight from input to output) is you are totally at the mercy of the recording a bit more than if you had a pre-amp in the mix. Even the best active preamps add a bit of flavor here and there.

I have certain recordings I run in passive and others need the little bit of "sparkle" and dimensionality the active setting provides. Granted they are very similar but a slight difference can be heard.

I say try it using both and see which you prefer. Going w/o a pre or strictly passive is a love/hate thing. I like having the flexibility of both.

H9

[megasat16]

I assume you are feeding the digital out from CD to DAC. If your DAC has analog volume adjustment and you can hook up to an amp, I think it's probably easier and sounds natural than adding another pre in the mix. I think less components means simplicity and less color added to the sound (also less I/C). If you want to have tubey sound, you can add a Tube pre line stage in the setup later. But I would try without Pre first if your DAC has a good volume control.

[Face]

Passive is more transparent, but can sound thin with some setups. It depends on the gear, speakers, room, and listener preference.

[NotaSuv]

Speakers would be a pair of like new Mirage M-1's with new crossovers, amp is a Proceed hpa2, still up in the air as far as a transport and dac, or a better player and a pre....going to listen to a few different setups this weekend..thanks for the input

[fbm211]

How about a benchmark DAC-1 http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1244236244&/Benchmark-DAC-1

[BlueFox]

How about a benchmark DAC-1 http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1244236244&/Benchmark-DAC-1


I have the Benchmark Dac1 Pre, and when I first purchased it I connected it directly to the amp (Cambridge-Audio 840W). Worked great.

However, I knew I was going to be purchasing an SACD player with XLR output, and the Dac1 only had 1 set of RCA analog inputs. A secondary problem was the Dac1 had no remote control (to be remedied on 4/20), and it is bright as a super nova when the lights are low, or off.

So, I purchased a Cambridge-Audio 840E pre-amp, which has 2 sets of XLR inputs, remote control, and the ability to dim, or turn off, the lights.

I tried and tried, but I could not hear any differance between having the Dac1 going directly into the amp, versus going into the pre-amp, and then onto the amp. So, I am happy with the setup, plus the 840E/840W look better together than the Dac1 and 840W. Of course, that is my opinion.

Here is a pretty good review of the 840E/840W combinaiton.
http://www.avguide.com/review/tested-cambridge-azur-840e-preamplifier-and-840w-power-amplifier