Preamps built Into DACs


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A lot of higher end preamps are also DACs. A lot of guys that buy these high end DACs already have a high-end preamp.

How much money could be saved on a $6k preamp/DAC if the preamp section was removed? In my case, a preamp on a DAC is redundant. I believe the preamp section should be an option on a DAC.

What say you?
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128x128mitch4t

Showing 2 responses by mitch4t

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Thanks Steve, the reason that I started this thread is that some of the DACs that I'm interested in that have great reviews are DAC/pre units.

I'm a die-hard Audio Research tube preamp guy. I love their sound and I won't entertain any discussion about replacing it with a preamp from a DAC.

Offerings from Antelope Audio and Empirical Audio have well regarded DACs, but they also include a preamp. I can't help but wonder what my savings would be if there were no preamp attached to those units.
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After reading all of the above, the high end tube preamp is the way to go for me. In five years as digital technology continues to evolve, I'll revisit the feasibility of using the preamp section of a DAC.
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