Using CD player without Preamp?

There is another post on this subject from a few days ago. I agree with Polk as long as the output stage was actually designed to drive a power amp. Despite having a nominal output high enough many CD players will not be as good as a good preamp in driving a power amp. But if they have been designed to do so then adding anything else will degrade the sound to some degree.

Al, there are specific DACs which are intended to be used without an active preamp. My Audio Synthesis Dax is one. It has a much higher quality output section than a cheap integrated player. The question does not involve the device in question KNOWING what it is driving but the quality of the output stage in it. A cheap stage will do better supplying a small signal to a good preamp than doing the whole job itself. Such DACs will naturally be more expensive and complex as they are doing a job the others were not really designed for. Check the Audio Synthesis web site for their take on this.

I think we are saying the same thing. My point was that the output staged of many cheaper players are not comfortable driving a power amp directly, they were not really designed to do so. In an age where a $1000 preamp is considered low end we shouldn't be surprised if the output stage of a $500 player is significantly worse sounding than going through the preamp. My
Two decoders are comfortable driving amps directly but I have heard others that were not. They sounded all right supplying a small level signal to a preamp but not supplying 2 volts.