What should I do - PS Audio DAC with or without Preamp

Congratulations on your purchase.

Typically systems sound better with a preamp… most of the time and significantly. But occasionally they will sound better without. Typically without a preamp they will sound very detailed, but flat and without soul. However, given the high quality of the DAC vs the rest of your equipment you will have to try it.

I would put your new DAC in your system and get it broken in. In this time you will get to know what it sounds like. Then switch to direct. If it is not immediately obvious which is better.. then when you switch back to using the preamp it should be.

For what it's worth I just got a Perfect Wave DAC Mk 2 and it really sounded bad used as a preamp, I also got a new Hifi Rose for a streamer but it also has a preamp built in and it sounded much better. My PS Audio BHK sounds great with the other PS Audio equipment in a huge way. Seems to me PS Audio equipment needs a dedicated preamp in general.

Thanks @ghdprentice and ​​​​​@donavabdear for the good advice and info.

Do you wanna know which sounds better?

Or is more convenient?

Obviously all of your sources can run through the DAC.

@fuzztone  Ultimately, sound better. Listening now through the preamp (Freya +) and it sounds pretty darn good. My big concern was that the PS Audio DAC is in a totally different "pay grade" than my preamp.

I'll just have to experiment at some point.