I am using mine this way, and there a zero compromises with the Resolution Audio CD50, only advantages. COMPARISONS WITH PLAYERS LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT BE MADE WITH STANDARD CD PLAYERS AND PASSIVE ATTENUATOR PREAMPS, because the tow have nothing to do with each other. The CD50's components are without compromise (discrete bi-polar output devices running in class A, with the highest quality microprocessor controlled volume, the same as used in the very best linestages). It is designed to drive a power amp directly, and it is the best digital source for CD's under $10,000 in existence, at least of the ones that do not upsample.............I can see why guys would want a tube linestage to help a lesser CD player along (and blur some of its grain), but if you got one of these, you certainly wouldn't be worried about that. Good luck.
CD direct to Amp/Current TAS issue ?
In the current issue of the Absolute Sound, the reviewers are asked to put together reccomended systems within certain price ranges (this is a great issue, BTW). One of the reccomended systems has an amp and CD player, but no preamp. The reviewer says something to the effect of "Because the CD player has an analog output level control, a preamp is not required and that money can be put into other areas of the system." Does this work with any CD player/Amp combination as long as the CD has an output level control? Is there any risk of damaging the amp or speakers by using this "no preamp" configuration? Other than being limited to only one input source, are there any drawbacks to going direct to amp? I appreciate any light you can shed on this subject, especially if any of you are actually running your systems in this configuration.