I certainly wouldn't buy an active preamp before I'd tried one and compared. Your CD player may/may not be up to going it alone, you may/may not value transparency more than what you get (maybe euphonic) with an active preamp. I sold a CAT SL-1 III and went passive because of what I valued more, but don't assume that my preferences will be shared. See if some friendly dealer will let you give an active preamp a try. And on the cables, many if not most would say that the most important IC is the one joining preamp to power amp.
To Preamp or not to Preamp, that is my q
To Preamp or not to Preamp, that is my question. I have a Denon DCD-1650AR which is connected directly to a Parasound HCA-2200II via Maple Audio Ambiance interconnects. Yeah, I know, low-end gear compared to most of you guys, but it sounds pretty good to me...
My intent was (and is) to keep it as simple as possible and assumed that the more direct the path and the fewer components, the more "honest" the sound reproduction would be. As I say, it does sound very good to me. But could it sound better with the addition of a quality preamp? One other related question: Adding a Preamp obviously require another set of interconnects. Do the ones between the preamp and amp need to be of the same quality as used between the player and the preamp?
In your responses, keep in mind my minimalist philosophy. I would consider adding a decent quality preamp, but I am not interested in upgrading the player, separating it to transport/DAC etc. Simple is better for me. I have no other sources, so do not need any switching capability.
Kind regards...
My intent was (and is) to keep it as simple as possible and assumed that the more direct the path and the fewer components, the more "honest" the sound reproduction would be. As I say, it does sound very good to me. But could it sound better with the addition of a quality preamp? One other related question: Adding a Preamp obviously require another set of interconnects. Do the ones between the preamp and amp need to be of the same quality as used between the player and the preamp?
In your responses, keep in mind my minimalist philosophy. I would consider adding a decent quality preamp, but I am not interested in upgrading the player, separating it to transport/DAC etc. Simple is better for me. I have no other sources, so do not need any switching capability.
Kind regards...