So either I am really stupid or the Cabernet has one of the most epic transformations with burn in ever. I have complained multiple times about how my Cabernet preamp couldn’t handle the 4v output of my DAC via its balanced inputs. Well, I tried it again all these months later on a whim and its fine.
All I can figure is that I was on the wrong input when I did my initial test. I have noticed that there is quite a bit of bleed between inputs. If you put as signal in on one input you can hear it if you select an other input. That obviously isn’t a big deal because you won’t be playing multiple inputs at the same time. But when I first hooked the Cabernet into my system I thought it was really quiet and very distorted. Then I tried a different input and it got MUCH louder. That’s how I knew I had been on the wrong input. The signal was still really compressed and distorted though.
Did I really not try another input originally? I find that hard to believe but it is the most likely explanation. So yeah, the Cabernet is fine with higher input levels on the balanced connection.