SQ of digital volume controls compared to preamplifiers

I have a PS Audio BHK Signature preamplifier. Love the sound but not the noise it is making.

So last weekend I connected my Holo Audio May KTE Dac directly to my BHK 250 amplifier. Using roon’s dsp volume control.

The sound was pretty good, but the magic was gone. Soundstage is less 3D and the voices are not as believable.

Have you made the same comparison, software versus hardware and what is your conclusion?

Also! Any recommendations for a balanced holographic preamplifier?

martin-andersen01-13-2023 10:23am

johnnycamp5 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 124 posts 01-13-2023 at 12:53pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete “The sound was pretty good, but the magic was gone. Soundstage is less 3D and the voices are not as believable.” That and more is my experience every time I try to use any of my systems without a preamp. You might want to try a preamp with adjustable gain setting (not just volume output) You can experiment with it and drop the noise floor to what you feel are acceptable levels