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Good/bad idea? Oppo in 2 channel w/out preamp?

I'm considering moving on from an Upgrade Co Denon 3910 to a modded Oppo SE or Nuforce BDP-83, probably a Modwright with the tube upgrade. I've just went from an integrated amp to seperates and am using a cheap Parasound mini-preamp until I can either have a good passive built OR get a player with built in volume control. I've mostly had very good success going without a preamp when possible. I've had a Theta Miles and Consonance Droplet 5.0 which were much better without a preamp while a Consonance SACD 2.0 was a bit tubby and less precise direct (it sounded quite a bit better using the passive preamp section in an integrated I used to own vs running that integrated as an amp only).

So, can anyone comment on running the BDP-83 SE or Nuforce direct into an amp and do any of the aftermarket upgrades affect the quality of the volume control? Many thanks for your time and experiences. Lyle
lcherepkai

Showing 3 responses by kr4

kr4's avatar
kr4
3,707 posts
 
AFAIK, none of the mods affect the VC and that VC is digital. Thus, it is lossy and how effective it will be will depend on how much lossy attenuation you need in your setup.

Kal
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,707 posts
 
Yes, I have used the Oppo volume control (whether driving an amp or a preamp is not relevant). The only issues are the the gain of the amp and the sensitivity of the speakers. The Oppo VC was just fine in the upper range from about 75 and up. Below 50, the sound was increasingly grainy. In between, it was tricky, generally OK and depended on the program content.

So, if all you need is a bit of attenuation, it is OK. How much do you need?
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,707 posts
 
Lcherepkai-

It is not that the VC is good or bad. It is simply that it is a digital attenuator and, as such, must lose resolution with attenuation. Almost all do. (There are some that get around this by DSP.)

So, a little attenuation means a little loss and that is usually OK. A lot of attenuation means a lot of loss but it may not be an issue if the listening level is very low.

So, again, it is a question of how much attenuation you need and I cannot estimate this for you as it requires knowledge of your speaker's sensitivity, the gain of the power amp and what listening levels you use.

The numbers refer to the Oppo's volume indicator scale which ranges from 0 to 100 but is uncalibrated.

Kal
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