2. amps-preamps
  3. 1416004597

Do I really need a preamp?

As I continue to upgrade my system, I keep asking myself this. I'm looking at the Benchmark DAC2. Since it acts as a preamp, do I really need one? Currently I'm using Peachtree 220 with the NovaPre and it sounds nice, but like the way these things go, I think it could sound even better. With the upgrade, I'm thinking I can eliminate the Pre and run the DAC2 with a new amp (thinking D-Sonic maybe)but I'm not sure.

Any useful information would be appreciated. Pretty new to all this, but deeply obsessed.
robcentola

Showing 3 responses by cerrot

cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
When I mentioned to my dealer that I would try my CD player preampless into my amps, he told me I would probably lose a little midrange. 2 years after living with a preampless system, I added a preamp. Dealer was right. I was robbing myself of some pretty sweet (missing) midrange. I dont think anyone should make the decision to go w/o a pramp w/o trying a preamp.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
the budget inclined may still want midrange ;)
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
We really ask alot of that litle potentiometer in that preamp of ours. We put the whole audio signal through it and ask it to attenutate just what we want, just the way we want it too. We want it to bring us the emotion, without any distortion. We want to be able to hear the quiet, and unravel the loud. That is a tall order and you really (REALLY) need a higly resolving preamplifier (unless you have an aeris, etc, ie a dac that has some real archectecture behind the volume control)to pull it off. Some live perfomrances can benefit from a good preamp.
More to discover