Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?

@charles007100 I am using a Boulder 866 integrated. But it has a theater bypass mode you can set for each input. I tried it and used the MA3i volume control. There was absolutely no degradation in sound quality. I have used it in this configuration for a few weeks. I didn’t feel there was an improvement but again there was no audible compromise. I switched the boulder to regular mode. 
I would say if this DAC is your only source then using direct into amp is what I would do. I think you would need one heck of a preamp to beat the volume control that’s on the Meitner. 

@audio-b-dog ​​​​@macg19 listening to Bill Evans Sunday at Village Vanguard and sounds incredible. There’s slightly less interference from the venue on this recording. Both albums are fantastic. The sound quality is insanely good on this Craft vinyl mastered by KG. The cartridge and phono stage pull ever out of the grooves. Great album. 

@audphile1 oh ya your amp is integrated, I am talking about just a amp not integrated, nothing else hooked up just the Meitner that lets the Meitner really shine. If you have just a amp laying around give it a try when the mood feels adventurous, it is a lot of work changing things out for sure.

@charles007100 unfortunately, or fortunately, Boulder 866 is all I got. It’s very transparent. I’m sure if I had a Boulder 1163 stereo amp and ran Meitner direct into it, my jaw would drop to where the hobbits live. But alas, I don’t yet have the means to run that level of amplification :)

@audphile1 If you run into a sweet deal on a Pass Labs amp grab it, nothing wrong with having a spare…

I found cracking the Meitner volume to 100 vs without a preamp and you are down around 16 to 25 on the volume is a total different ball game…smooth, the details in the music especially if you have bright sounding speakers with the wrong gear…with my Volti Lucera speakers a hybrid horn…the Meitner doing the everything is night and day better then with the Pass Preamp..of course with the preamp I could lower the volume from 100 on the Meitner, that was flat sounding and boring…had me scratching my head, Humm then I remembered what someone told me, all you need is the right dac with a great volume control, amp, speakers..if you try it say bye bye to vinyl….

@charles007100 

Ten years ago I would be experimenting with the Meitner directly into my amp, even though it would only be an academic excercise because I need my preamp for my analogue front end. I have in the past, however, experimented with the "straight wire" theory by trying out very good passive preamps, which is what Meitner is essentially offering. I never liked the sound much. A good preamp does more than switch from one audio front end to another and turn the volume up and down. In my mind, the preamp is the most important piece of equipment in the audio chain. I have owned many good preamps. My ear is attuned to their sounds. So, not only would the experiment be academic, I would approach it skeptically. Although one might argue that preamps only distort sound, I happen to like the way they do it. All that being said, I would kill my back doing that experiment, and since I know I won't go without a preamp even if the Meitner's preamp sounded better, I will preserve my back for now.