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Will DAC always sound better going straight into a Power Amplifier?

Hi All,

I experimented today with plugging my Khadas Tone Board DAC straight into a Power Amp, and then using a vintage restored Yamaha solid state preamp in the chain...and the sound seemed to be clearer without the preamp.

Is this always the case, where a DAC will sound better directly connected to a power amp?

I see some expensive DAC offerings, like the Musetec 005 and the Holo Audio May, and was wondering that if i want to save up for one of them...if i have to save up for a preamp as well.

If it will cloud the sound, then i'll leave the preamp out of the mix.  Let me know your thoughts all!

I've read that some people have had experiences where the DAC sounds better through a preamp, so I'm not sure if there is a universal answer here or not.

fai_v

Showing 2 responses by majorc

majorc
78 posts
 

 normal modern DAC will output at min. 2v RCA or min.4v balanced. That is equal to a normal preamp output. Forgetting weird impedance mismatches for the moment, the only job left for the preamp is attenuation. If the DAC has a good relay based rather than lossy digital attenuator, there is nothing left for the preamp to do other than add distortion. If you do have an impedance mismatch, get a passive attenuator

I run direct and completely agree with this - but how does a passive attenuator correct an impedance mismatch? I thought that the problem with passives was that they do not correct an impedance issue the way active preamps do - even unity gain/buffers only preamps. 

 

majorc
78 posts
 
I use an ifi idsd dac micro which has the option of running in direct mode or 2 options for preamp mode - 1 with 0 gain and 1 with gain - when in preamp mode there volume control nob in enabled - is it safe to assume that that is an analog volume control - and if so serve the same role as a passive?
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