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Best preamp for EAD DSP 9000 Pro DAC

Hi dear fellows.My system consists in a Krell kav 300 cd player,an ARC LS2BMK2 tube/ hybrid preamp and an ARC D200 amp.I recently bought an EAD DSP9000 PRO DAC ( which has also a preamp included)and I use my Krell cd player as transport.I´m very happy with the accurate timber of instruments,with the dark background of music and the quality of the EAD DSP 9000 PRo.Anyway when using this DAC as preamp too, I notice that the image restraines and there is no this soundstage I have when using my ARC LS2BMK2 tube/hibrid preamp without the EAD.The issue is that when using the EAD together with the ARC preamp I feel there is no sinergy so I am forced to choose between the accurate timber of music using EAD DAC as preamp too (without using the ARC preamp) and having a restrained image ¨OR¨ to choose using the ARC preamp whitout connecting the EAD DSp 9000 pro but in doing so I have this big soundstage and image but there is no this contour of instruments, details, accurate timber.So my question is.....Is there any preamp suitable for this DAC?Any experiences will be highly appreciated.Cheers.Raf
rafael0054
rafael0054 OP
99 posts
 
hi Zd542!Besides the components mentioned before, my sistem has PAD maximus xlr as interconnects,PAD Aqueous 20th anniversary biwire as speaker cable, PAD mueaus with Furutech Gold connectors, transparent ultra power bank conditionner and my speakers are Apogee Centaur ribbon.Cheers.Raf
zd542
5,339 posts
 
See if you can get someone to lend you a more powerful amp to try in your system. You're D200 may be straining to drive the speakers and the preamp is masking the problem to some extent. Just to be clear, I'm not saying your amp is not good, because it is. You may lack power, not sound quality.
fonoman
15 posts
 
The best preamp to go with the dsp-9000 is the preamp inside the dsp-9000. What you've experienced is not a synergy mismatch, but the superiority of the dsp-9000 compared to the arc preamp. I strongly disagree with "the newer the better when it comes to dacs" statement. The numbers are newer, the samplings are higher, the jitter is claimed to be lower...... So what. The most musical dacs are still from the eighties. EAD, Sonic Frontiers, Metronome, Melos, Theta.
rafael0054 OP
99 posts
 
Hi fonoman!
Many many thanks for your opinion!!!
In fact,it  is very reasonable what you say., taking into account the quality of this brand.I agree 100 % that the newer dacs neccesarily aren´t the better.I had heard newer dacs with higher samplings and for me it was a collection of details but they lacked of musicality.Anyway I decided some time ago, to not use any preamp and go directly from de EAD dsp9000 to poweramp, which confirms your point of view.

Thanks again!
Regards!

Raf
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