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New Preamp arrived....

So a few short hours ago my Quicksilver Line Stage Preamp arrived. It will be replacing a Schiit SYS passive that was bought to be able to implement the first piece of the puzzle, the power amp, and be able to sell my cheapo integrated.

its been 20 months since the power amp arrived so today was super exciting.
I hook it all up (and reverse the speaker connections as it says it inverts phase) and...

Well its every bit as clean and clear as the Schiit. Bass is a little better. The volume knob can actually be turned further to get as loud as the Schiit which was surprising. The treble has some sizzle on the very top end which I’m assuming will work itself out over time. Not much different in the bass department.

My fear going in was it’d sound the same which would add a heavy dose of buyer’s remorse ($1300 vs $50). It’s got the stock JJ 12AT7 tubes and I have a pair of NOS RCA black plates coming next week.

So what kinds of things can I expect for the first few days/weeks?
gochurchgo
gochurchgo OP
946 posts
 
So here’s a thing. I was cleaning house while streaming an album. It sounded thin and kind of sterile. I decided to throw the same album on (LP) and it was anything but.

Before, streaming music was un-dynamic and just very ho-hum. Now it’s thinner and a little more dynamic with emphasis on the upper mids and highs. My vinyl setup is so much better! Ballsy sound for the most part. Would this indicate the active preamp is exposing the DAC (Topping D30) to be thin? 
Digital: AppleMusic via ATV4K -> optical -> Topping D30 -> 1/2 meter Evergreen RCA to preamp.

Analog: Pro-Ject DC + 2M Blue -> LC-1 -> Lounge LCR III -> Monster RCA to preamp

Just a thought as they’ve never sounded to finally different.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,402 posts
 
My vinyl setup is so much better! Ballsy sound for the most part. Would this indicate the active preamp is exposing the DAC (Topping D30) to be thin?
@gochurchgo

Yes. This is a common comment vis a vis analog vs digital. The Topping is great for the bucks but analog shows it up pretty fast.


You've probably had people tell you this but its a bit tricky to get good bass with the speakers on the long wall as you have in your room. It looks like the short walls are out of the question so if you want more punch move the speakers as close to the wall as you can- that will allow the room boundary to help you out on the bottom end, but you may run into troubles with the soundstage. Like I said- tricky.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
6,173 posts
 
Before this conversation turns into digital vs analog, I would look into improving digital source for a better experience. The two areas I would focus on is Apple TV and the wall wart In your DAC.

1. Get a better streamer, like a Bluesound Node 2i. Lot of folks here reported Node 2i with Ayre Codex DAC yielded great SQ. 
2. If a new DAC is not an option, get a linear power supply for your D30 DAC. There are lot of good LPS available for under $200.
gochurchgo OP
946 posts
 
Thanks @atmasphere   it was never an issue but now it is. Bummer. As for bass, yeahm the short wall is all windows and I'd rather not have people walking by looking at the back end.

@lalitk  The AppleTV/Topping is mostly for movies and AppleMusic which I use to hear new sounds and decide if its worth buying on vinyl. The only reason why I would reference it was that with the Schiit it was only somewhat less dynamic but overall pretty similar to my analog sound. Now they are pretty different which I did not expect. 

At this point with limited funds I'm not looking to drop any more on the digital end. I still want to upgrade speakers, turntable, cart and phono preamp. Spending $200 on a power supply for a $120 device seems counterintuitive to me but maybe I'm ignorant.
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
6,173 posts
 
Looks like your focus and prime source for listening is Vinyl. And if you’re listening to digital to screen new music then your existing setup would suffice for now.
I would have probably phrase the statement ‘My vinyl setup is so much better! Ballsy sound for the most part’ in a different way instead of drawing a comparison between the two competing formats.

I firmly believe if done right, both formats can yield very satisfying musical experience. They do sound different for obvious reasons but not necessarily superior over one another as often portrayed here.
Good luck with your journey!
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