Do you consider preamp input gain control?
Now a wise old recording engineer of 30 years experience I was taught the best way of capturing the cleanest audio in both analog and digital is getting your input gains spot on. Both lowering noise floor and avoiding any possible clipping & distortion.
However.... only recently have I managed to put this into practice in my home HiFi system. No one wants a mixing desk in their lounge least of all my other half.
After recently experimenting with a few bits of semi obsolete pro audio gear I had shelved, I now run my turntable phono stage, my streamer, and the TV box into an HHB CDR 830 machine which provides 3 main functions:
1. It provides CD transport with fixed output gain.
2. it does DAC duties for my streamer and EE TV box, and sounds superb.
3. Utilising it's dual digital (coaxial and optical) and analog input gain controls it evens out the output gain of all 3 sources ; phono stage output was too hot for amp , the streamer and tv box too cold and varied wildly... things were all over the shop... But this now provides one perfectly matched output gain for my integrated amp's input circuits. I simply switch what I'm monitoring on the CDR and don't have to switch amp inputs. The amp in use is a 1963 Japanese tube amp so it does need to be fed with the ideal amount of millivolts to get the best out of it's pre amp stage and 20w per channel output handling. Probably more than a modern integrated amp might.
If you find yourself adjusting volumes between your sources then I can recommend doing something similar. It's a bit of a revolution in my front room!
The Prototype Pre Amp' I am using is a SS Design and will allow me to add up to 13dB of Gain. This has allowed me to select my preferred adjustment, which will be in the SS section up to 6dB of Gain and in the Valve Section, of which there are two Valve Models able to used, there will be 2 x 3dB Steps that can be added. For myself Very Exciting Times are near fruition. |
This is a design created between myself and an EE who I have known for 30ish Years and has done commission builds for me since the 90's. I myself would not know how to add attenuation to the design. My input at present is having Bespoke Casings Produced as this is a Design for a Mono Block Pre Amp'. The Side Wall is to be able to receive a Footer so I can orientate then Amp' Vertical as well, to allow for very close proximity positioning to the Monoblock Power Amp's. My design for the Amp's Output Connector allows the Connector to be directly in line with the Power Amp's Input Connector. I am wanting the set up also to be able to be very close proximity to Speakers if I so wish. |
You would think a line input is a line input and every one of them the same, but such is not the case. My preamp allows each input to be tailored to a degree, I can’t remember how much, but whatever it is, it’s not enough. |
I haven't considered a preamp capable of match volume between input sources. However, I have used them back in the day when they were available on my Luxman preamps. But at that time, I had 2 turntables, tuner, cassette and reel to reel. Yup. Pre Digital. I always set my volume control to zero when switching sources. I know where to bring the control up depending on the source I'm using, time of day, mood.... I can handle 4. Either CD or Turntable inputs. Outputs to Tube or SS amps. |
