2. amps-preamps
  3. 148737-3667

Bypassing preamp in disc player when using integrated amplifiers

Own a Primaluna Integrated tube Amp &  Oppo UDP-205 disc player. The amp has a HT bypass input.

My goal is to use only the tube preamp in the integrated amp... and bypass the preamp in the player.

  • Option 1) If I hook up the player's analog outputs to the amp's HT bypass input then I am using the solid state preamp in the Oppo and the tube poweramp section of the integrated. The tube preamp in the integrated amp is being bypassed.

  • Option 2) If I hook up the player's analog outputs to a regular input (anything other than the HT bypass) on the amp's, then the solid state preamp on the player as well the tube preamp in the integrated amp are being employed.... i.e double pre-amping.

  • Option 3) Add an external DAC between the player and the integrated. This allows me to bypass the preamp in the player and employ the preamp in the integrated. But the unfortunate downside is that I need to buy a nice DAC instead of using the relatively nice DAC already built into the Oppo... and also complicates the setup.

The analog output from disc players is always the output from their builtin preamps. Since you cant access the direct output from the built-in DAC inside the CD player.... it sounds like an integrated amp pretty much implies the need for an external DAC in the setup. Please correct me.
roxito

Showing 1 response by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
I think I see the confusion. The analog output of your player is two sections:

Volume control --> Analog output buffer --> Output connectors


We don't usually talk about this as a built in preamp, but it's similar. What most  audiophiles are concerned with is the volume control, because  many would loose resolution at anything less than full output. The solution is to leave  the player at full output and rely on your preamp / integrated to handle it.


The only way to bypass the analog output section is, as you and Elizabeth point out, to use an external DAC.
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