2. amps-preamps
  3. 1042062775

preamp vs. no-preamp

Hi guys, I would like to know your opinions regarding the classic question (which also has been posted many times in this forum, I know, I know) whether or not a preamp is needed for a good (= musical sound). You see, if you can delete the preamp and connect the DAC into the poweramp, you can save lots of money, sometimes up to $ 15,000 for a Conrad-Johnson ART (this is off course an extreme example). The money you have spent on the preamp can be used for buying a better source or amplifier (mono's?). So theoretically if you don't have a preamplifier you can improve the sound reproduction by: deleting redundant audio circuitry and interconnect cables, upgrading the quality of you source, poweramplifier or speakers.
My personal experience is that without a preamplifier the sound is becoming thin and uninvolving, but I know there are audiophiles who don't have a preamp in their audio system.
dazzdax

Showing 1 response by seandtaylor99

seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
Twl has a very good point. It is my belief that the reason that some passsive attenuators sound thin and lacking in dynamics is because they fail to present a high enough input impedance to the source and/or low enough output impedance to the power amp. It's all about impedance matching.
An active preamp can much more easily present a high input impedance and a low output impedance, and should therefore be more system independant.
I have no experience with transformer coupling, but if it solves the impedance problems then I can see how it could be the best of both worlds ... the transparency of a passive attenuator with the impedance matching (and hence the dynamics) of an active preamp.

I'm just too much of a tightwad to try out my theories !
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