Do I actually need a dedicated amp/DAC for my setup?


Hello World!

The obvious answer to the question is "Duh!*" with the asterisk being a caveat for like 0.5% of the time.

Well, I might be in that 0.5% of the time and, being right brain not left brain, I might be in a situation where my lust for the Ferrum Erco Gen2 is really unwarranted.

Current setup:

  • Monitor / Destinations:
    • Miniot Black turntable for vinyl (yeah, yeah, jokes aside) which has an admirable internal pre-amp
    • Naim Atom HD for streaming
    • Audiolab 6000 for CDs (for which obviously I’d need a dac/amp)
  • Setups:
    • A) home hifi station: Phonitor XE / Bifrost 2 / Lokius
    • B) at-home work station: JDS Labs Element 3
    • C) home personal computer: SMSL M500 Mk3
    • D) Remote office work station: Atom stack

So the question: do I really need a better amp/dac in my hifi station if I’m only using it for the CD transport & the Phonitor isn't up to par for my flagship headphones? Is using the turntable pre-amp straight to headphones good enough given that it pumps out great volume?

I’m lusting after the Ferrum Erco G2 DAC/amp, thinking of selling the Phonitor/Bifrost/Lokius --- but really, do I really need it? I can take the cd transport through the SMSL MK3 just fine. If I can just sell the Phonitor-trio setup, I can use that $ to put towards the scholarship I set up for kids at my old high school, which would be nice.

Anyways, would appreciate your insight.

 

master_of_pupppets

Daughter’s college fund is set. Daughter’s 401k is set (yep, you can do that, up to 6k/yr for minors), & now that she’s coming of working age, she’s gonna take care of funding half the $ herself.

The scholarship I founded was paid for by extra evening freelance because I’m a workaholic. This audio fun-time was founded & funded by the same extra freelance, but due to doctor’s orders that life of extra supplimentary freelance income’s gotta stop: health issues arose from 20 years of working 100+ hour weeks, multiple all-nighters in a row to meet deadlines. I’ve got to clock out at 6pm and that’s that. Which is dang tough switch when your mind & body are set in their Work All The Time Never Relax ways.

Now, with a steady full time (at long last!) staff gig & 3 Emmys on my shelf, I’m taking doctor’s ORDERS TO RELAX and got into this "sit down in a comfy chair and listen to music" hobby as a new thing to obsess about. Bipolar’s got a "collection / optimization" factor to it, thus chasing the white rabbit towards a great system. As another part of this "new relaxation regimen" (lol) I’ve taken on a few more ’hobbies’. I’m also a judge in other regions’ Emmys, set up a courseload of training for myself for personal development, interpersonal development & professional development, just started as a trained volunteer at an animal shelter, am a mentor in the Childrens’ Media Association, the leader of a Peer group at work, and am in a FranklinCovey 1-on-1 program with a personal development coach there. With all that, my "relaxation" time is now reallocated and I just wanna get the "setup" stage of my hifi station complete and just get in to plopping my butt down and listening. It bugged me that I had to turn the Phonitor all the way up to eleven to listen to records.

So... I first and foremost obsess about optimizing finances for family: maximizing my personal 401k (double 100% match by employer up to 5% of salary), monthly contributions to our short term savings & long term investment account, monthly contributions to my daughter’s college fund (with 90k there, 4 years still to save, and she ain’t goin to no Ivy) & the scholarship (3 scholarships at $1k apiece means one good 2 week long evening freelance gig a year)...
We’re good there.

And mind you: we ain’t richie riches. We’re month to month too, like everyone & their brother’s uncle. I wore hand-me-downs growing up & my mom cut our hair & sewed the drapes & made our backpacks from old denim. I finally made it a step up from that & I’m grateful for that grounding practical humble reality.

This, what I"m asking about here, is really a "settling in for the long haul" end of game gear scenario. If I sell the Phonitor / Schiits to get the Ferrum, then that’s it. I’m good. If the system I’ve got (streamer, play records & cds) can get by just fine without a respectable amp/DAC, then I can sell the Phonitor setup & reallocate those funds. That’s fine too. But as this is to be the last expenditure on audio gear (even including flagship headphones), I just want to make sure I’m set. I really don’t know if just using the turntable’s pre-amp is ok, or if it’ll like blow up my Audeze some day because just using a pre-amp isn’t what you’re supposed to do!

 

Hence, turning for advice to y'all who know worlds more than I ever will about this stuff.

@master_of_pupppets Your opinion is what matters.

Can you upgrade?  Sure?

Do you need to in order to enjoy music?  Definitely not!  

Here's my alternative.  Invest in a (pick one or more):

  • Excellent recliner (I am partial to Stressless)
  • Music - albums or electronic media
  • Glassware to enjoy your favorite beverage while listening to music

I love my system and I enjoy my friends systems too - the difference in their room, musical tastes and equipment ends up being irrelevant.  I like music and listening with friends makes it often even better while potentially introducing me to new music!

Perfect! Thanks! So the turntable’s pre-amp is fine to use on its own, & aaaall is set. I’ll sell the Phonitor/Schiit stack with no fear, grab myself a cup-holder as you recommend & whoo-hoo! Year 5 of the scholarships is set to go!