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New Preamp arrived....

So a few short hours ago my Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp arrived. It will be replacing a Schiit SYS passive that was bought to be able to implement the first piece of the puzzle, the power amp, and be able to sell my cheapo integrated.

its been 20 months since the power amp arrived so today was super exciting.
I hook it all up (and reverse the speaker connections as it says it inverts phase) and...

Well its every bit as clean and clear as the Schiit. Bass is a little better. The volume knob can actually be turned further to get as loud as the Schiit which was surprising. The treble has some sizzle on the very top end which I’m assuming will work itself out over time. Not much different in the bass department.

My fear going in was it’d sound the same which would add a heavy dose of buyer’s remorse ($1300 vs $50). It’s got the stock JJ 12AT7 tubes and I have a pair of NOS RCA black plates coming next week.

So what kinds of things can I expect for the first few days/weeks?
gochurchgo

Showing 3 responses by lalitk

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,750 posts
 
gochurchgo, 

Before you switch out speakers or make any other component changes, look into treating your room acoustically. Otherwise, you may be on endless upgrade path. 
Contact GIK, they are fairly inexpensive. I was able to treat my room under $1500, the treatments made huge improvements. 
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,750 posts
 
Before this conversation turns into digital vs analog, I would look into improving digital source for a better experience. The two areas I would focus on is Apple TV and the wall wart In your DAC.

1. Get a better streamer, like a Bluesound Node 2i. Lot of folks here reported Node 2i with Ayre Codex DAC yielded great SQ. 
2. If a new DAC is not an option, get a linear power supply for your D30 DAC. There are lot of good LPS available for under $200.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,750 posts
 
Looks like your focus and prime source for listening is Vinyl. And if you’re listening to digital to screen new music then your existing setup would suffice for now.
I would have probably phrase the statement ‘My vinyl setup is so much better! Ballsy sound for the most part’ in a different way instead of drawing a comparison between the two competing formats.

I firmly believe if done right, both formats can yield very satisfying musical experience. They do sound different for obvious reasons but not necessarily superior over one another as often portrayed here.
Good luck with your journey!
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