Aqvox 2CI Direct Input

That's what I wanted to hear Maxson. Overload was the main concern I had. I run a passive pre anyways, so removing that from the signal path can only be good. Is there sonic benefits to driving the amp directly over a preamp? I see a Dact stepped attenuator mod in my future.

I don't have the 2CI yet. It's on its way but will keep you posted. One of the main reasons why I was on the fence is because the Linto is so well accepted and I don't know if the 2CI would be an upgrade. Would you know if the gain controls on the 2CI are stepped attenuators or volume pots? From the 2 dB steps, I would assume it's a stepped attenuator.

Wow. The SA-1000 is no slouch either. Maybe a Dact stepped attenuator is in your future too. I rarely listen to CDs so this is the most likely implementation for me.

I just got my MkII version and did a bit of surgery to an Extemephono Silver cable converting from RCA to XLR. The pots do adjust the dynamics of the sound. Too little and the sound is flat and too much and there is a bit of overload on my system. Mine is dialed in at 12:00 o'clock. My initial comment is that the Linto is quieter with more depth. The 2CI has more immediacy and a more robust dynamic sound. Bass articulation is a strong point. I just need to fiddle with it to get the noise level down. Maybe it will go away with break-in. I plan on doing similar mods like the Underwood/PS Audio GCPH mods, that is, Soundcoat chassis damping and ERS Paper and maybe upgrading the fuse to a HifiTuning Gold Fuse.