Signal path inside is identical with or without volume control. In one case front volume pot is active and in the other trimpots are engaged instead. Additional components like preamp or extra set of cables cannot make it sound better but often add a little bit of distortion making sound "livelier". Very old Benchmarks had problems with output impedance - fixed in earlier revisions. I have DAC1 driving directly (XLR) Rowland Model 102 with great results. Protect the switch on the back to prevent accidental full power to the speakers.
