Connecting External DAC's and Pre-Amps to Hegel Integrated Amplifiers?

@bassdude  -  You are very close to what you want to setup.  You need to use the Hegel in Home Theater (HT) mode.  According to the manual you can configure it this way.  That way you are only using the Hegel's power amp side.

1.  Connect all your digital sources to the external Yggdrasil DAC

2.  Connect the external Yggdrasil DAC's output to the ARC preamp.  You will have to select/change between the digital inputs using the Yggdrasil DAC's selector.

3.  Connect any non-digital sources to the analog L/R connections on the ARC preamp.

4.  At this point, your ARC preamp is handling ALL source inputs.

5.  Connect the L/R outputs of the ARC preamp to the analog inputs on the Hegel (use either XLR's #1 or Analog #1)

6.  Configure the Hegel for Home Theater (HT) mode.  I believe all you have to do it select the input connection the ARC preamp is connected to and turn the volume knob to full output (i.e. max).  BUT CHECK WITH HEGEL THAT THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO DO FOR HOME THEATER MODE.

7.  Use the ARC preamp to adjust the volume, etc.  And that should do it.  You are now using only the amp section of the Hegel.

- Jeff

@bassdue  

Maybe I should have done this first, I just Googled setting the Hegel into Home Theater mode and got a couple of different responses that are making me think I maybe not understanding what Hegel means by home theater input.  

Definitely check with Hegel on it first.

- Jeff

Wow, the original ask was very loaded.  The short answer is that the Hegel integrated will do everything you talked about except accept the signal from another preamp.  If you feed another preamp's output into the Hegel integrated you're going to have way to much gain and down the line something is going to blow.

@rick_n    -  "... something is going to blow", not necessarily.  There are a bunch of preamps and integrated amps out there that allow for Home Theater bypass.  I have two in my house right now.  (Parasound JC-2 BP and a PrimaLuna integrated)  It is going to depend on the design of the downstream integrated/preamp on the receiving side as well as the output levels of the upstream feed.  What I'm not sure of is if the downstream side would need somekind of gain suppression (???) to offset the overall feed to the amp. (If that makes any sense...)

What I will put to the OP, is it time to replace the Hegel integrated with a power amp, whether it be a Hegel or another brand?  The integrated is overly complicating the setup at this point.   You have a very good pre in the ARC unit and a good DAC in the Yggdrasil that are out performing the Hegel DAC/Pre.

- Jeff

OK - thanks for your guidance.  

Hegel's guidance is more or less the same as above.  

As I read these comments and the Hegel guidance I am concerned that I might risk damaging the speakers - if - I understand correctly.

Hegel says the following:

Set the Hegel to HT (Home Theater) mode setting, which I think sets the volume to "fixed high level" (99-100) with no attenuation.  I would think this would risk damaging the speakers - even if - the ARC 5se is set to 0.  

Or... does... the HT mode set the Hegel Pre-amp to "fixed high level" (from the source) and 0 gain / full attenuation of the Hegel Pre-amp?  If so, then the ARC 5se would control the entire volume level without risk to the speakers - I would think.  

I'm thinking "Fixed High Level" in Hegel's terms surely means "Fixed High Level" from the source.  Maybe????

I agree - if I want to use a tube pre-amp, it would be far simpler and safer to drive an amp which is not integrated.  But, this is what I've got.  I do have the ARC 150se tube amp... which I've tried... but... I want to see what the Hegel sounds like with a tube pre-amp.  

Thanks... again...