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DAC Direct to Power Amp or "Buffer"?

I recently returned to the DEQX solution for room correction via PreMate+. While it rendered an excellent DAC redundant the DEQX DAC is quite stout, and the room correction improvement is well worth the change. Of course, the PreMate+ has a volume control and is intended to also replace my preamp.

I much prefer the sound quality if I keep my analog active preamp in the signal chain between DEQX and a Pass Labs 30.8 amp. My preamp has transformer coupled differential balanced topology, and I suspect the transformer "buffering" of the DEQX output may be responsible for what I am hearing. The Empirical Audio "Final Drive" units seem to have been designed with this in mind.

I know conventional practice is to go DAC direct to power amp if the DAC has a volume control, but the improvement I hear with my preamp kept in the signal chain is far from subtle.

Has anyone had a similar experience to mine? Any "Final Drive " users out there?
jb0194

Showing 1 response by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,630 posts
 
I think it's very much dependent on a lot of things. My Mytek Brooklyn sounds phenomenal when directly connected, but I still use a Parasound P7 in the middle because I also do movies.

If Mytek did a multi-channel DAC/pre I'd be all over it.

Best,

E
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