How good is the PWD DAC II Preamp Section

How would it be possible to evaluate just the preamp section?

Wouldn't playing your kit with a preamp in the chain and the PWD volume at 100%, and comparing it with PWD running direct to amp accomplish this? I think the usual complaint is with the PWD digital volume control.

Btw, when I did this comparison, my system with an ancient Adcom pre I dug out of the garage sounded better than the PWD running direct. I concluded that the often heard criticism of the PWD pre section was not without merit.

John

My understanding is also that information loss occurs below 50%. I believe Paul McGowan says this should not be an issue at "realistic" listening volumes. With my system and listening habits I was below 50% more often than not. I cannot say for sure whether this or other factors explains my perception that my system sounds better with a pre. It does suggest that the 99% test proposed by Ska_man would not tell us everything we might want to know about performance of the pre section in the PWD.

Note that it may be pretty hard to A/B for the sonic impact of information loss -- say 40% v. 60%, because you cannot easily do a volume matched test (perhaps tweaking recording levels of the same source material might all it). One can, of course, match volume levels for pre v. direct.

Jhn