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Impedance match

My understanding for impedance matching a preamp or upstream source having a volume control (e.g., a DAC with volume control) to a downstream amplifier is that an appropriate “impedance match” is for the amplifier to have an input impedance at least 20-fold to 50-fold greater that the output impedance of the upstream preamp or source output impedance. One dealer told me that the appropriate “impedance match” between to such components is exactly that—an identical match of the same impedances. 

So which is it?
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Showing 1 response by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,627 posts
 
10x is usually the recommended amount, but usually the vendor should post this in the spec.

It is instructive to look at some of the reviews at Stereophile for tube preamps. The main issue is the volume control, and response at the ends of the spectrum. This will give you a very good idea of how tube electronics will perform when feeding other electronics.

The issue for tube amps feeding speakers is more complicated because since speaker impedances tend to be complicated, with multiple peaks and valleys.
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