I’m using a Weiss DAC502 with built in volume control - no degradation of signal. It comes with a handy hi- quality remote control. I feed this directly into a Marantz 8b vintage tube amp driving a pair of ProAc D30r. The overall system performance is stunning.
DAC/w Volume control + Power amp or DAC + Integrated?
Doing lots of research for complete new set up from the scratch but very confused about DAC /w volume control section.
Does the Volume control mean actually a preamp section? So a DAC + Preamp all-in-one box?
Or are there any DAC with pure simple volume control knob exist?
One of the systems I am eyeing on is LTA Ultralinear power amp. Source is digital only (Qobuz, local files network streaming via Chromecast audio to DAC via optical, for now) so I may not need separate Pre-amplifier.
There are couple of options.
1) DAC /w built in volume control + UL Power amp
2) pure DAC + Standalone Volume controller + UL Power amp
3) pure DAC + UL integrated amplifier
Which one is the best setup SQ wise? Or Cost-Performance?
Built in volume control affects sound quality of the DAC?
Is UL Integrated inferior to power amp by a margin?
I would like to go simple as possible because of limited funds (DAC & Amp for < $9k) so assume that going from DAC to Power amp directly is the way to go. All used gear will be more than welcome.
Regards
Arron
Does the Volume control mean actually a preamp section? So a DAC + Preamp all-in-one box?
Or are there any DAC with pure simple volume control knob exist?
One of the systems I am eyeing on is LTA Ultralinear power amp. Source is digital only (Qobuz, local files network streaming via Chromecast audio to DAC via optical, for now) so I may not need separate Pre-amplifier.
There are couple of options.
1) DAC /w built in volume control + UL Power amp
2) pure DAC + Standalone Volume controller + UL Power amp
3) pure DAC + UL integrated amplifier
Which one is the best setup SQ wise? Or Cost-Performance?
Built in volume control affects sound quality of the DAC?
Is UL Integrated inferior to power amp by a margin?
I would like to go simple as possible because of limited funds (DAC & Amp for < $9k) so assume that going from DAC to Power amp directly is the way to go. All used gear will be more than welcome.
Regards
Arron
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- 46 posts total
arron Speakers will be Spatial audio Sapphire M3 open baffle. i have the m3 sapphires, have run these tremendous speakers with a wide variety of amps key point of note is that the towering strength of the m3s’s is their amazingly full, natural, impactful bass imparted by clayton’s open baffle design... followed then by their excellent, open treble and full bodied dimensional midrange that being said, these speakers have 4x 15 in woofers, presenting a load of 4 ohms in the bass region despite a seemingly quite efficient 93 db/w/m... thus they are actually quite a challenge for many tube amps (read, most lower powered, inexpensive ones) to deliver the current and damping factor (woofer control) needed to reproduce the truly wonderful bass response, the speakers’ key strength as such, i recommend you get a high quality ss integrated amp with built in onboard dac, if you need to stay on a tight budget - imho it is the most cost effective path of excellent sound using these speakers a lower powered current generation hegel (h95 or h120), or a small devialet (which i have - the 120 - which drives the m3s’s brilliantly), or a similar offering from ps audio or others... https://www.overtureav.com/audio/integrated-amplifiers/hegel-integrated-amplifiers/hegel-h95/ https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649704107-devialet-expert-120/ at $2000-2400 for hegel (new) or devialet (used) above, i promise you will have a hard time beating it with $4000-5000 of standalone dacs and tube amps... digital volume controlled dac or not :) you have wisely chosen such truly outstanding speakers... but a tube amp on a budget is not the right answer to make them sing at their best good luck, have fun |
- 46 posts total