Will a high quality preamp really make a difference in sound?? Also speaker cable


Will a quality preamp make my system sound better?  And speaker cable...seems like everything I read people are split on this subject. My local hifi store brought up a good point; they said that the only thing between your amp and your speakers are the cable. Very good point and I'm inclined to believe it. Don't want to spend a fortune but don't want cheap cable either. Thoughts/ recommendations? Thank you in advance. 

spoonman16510

You could bi-wire with these and they’re a screaming bargain and may help tame brightness a bit as well. Hurry, at this price they won’t last long.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650194860-acoustic-zen-satori-shotgun-biwired-speaker-cables/

The DAC would go between the streamer and the NAD. 

@malatu,

He wasn’t that  wise, a blowhard was more like it. So happy he is gone, his smugness grated on me. 

Yes, and Yes 

+1 Everything Matters!

 

Preamp may matter more than most other items (system dependent).

Any additional processing in the signal path will negatively affect the signal, including a pre amp.  Do you need additional amplification, or does your source component(s) have sufficient output to drive your amp?

If you already have sufficient signal from the source component, all you are doing in a preamp is amplifying the signal, and then attenuating it - amplification will cause additional distortion, and the attenuation will waste part, or much, of the signal.

There are passive preamps that only waste part of the signal, or TVC preamps that do not waste any of the input signal.

If you are looking for tone control in a preamp, the go for it. That might represent improved sound.  Depends on what your objective is.

Many seem to think that the more fancy equipment in the rack, the better the stereo sounds.  Not so much the case....