DAC

[maceasy]

Hello,

I am wondering what people use who have digital outputs and/or streaming sources. If you have a separate DAC, like the Audiolab or Musical Fidelity, do you need the NVA preamp? Is it simply functioning as an expensive volume control, or is there more to it than that. I was figuring on maybe getting a DAC which has a remote control, which I would prefer, then into NVA. If I saved on the preamp, then I can spend more on the power amp or the DAC. I was looking at an integrated, but they seem to be vanishing.

Any preferred solutions?

Also, despite reading the accompanying blurb, I cannot see any explanation of what a stepped attenuator is, or adds to the preamp.

Thanks

[Andrew]

I guess it depends to some extent on what DAC you like. I tend to buy older kit because I like the sound and build quality it offers. Older DACs don't usually have remote volume, but I feel I save more on the 2nd hand price of a tasty DAc than I'd spend on a Preamp. That's before we even get to future system flexibility. A separate preamp will offer more of this.

Won't any volume control, whether in the DAC or preamp, add to the signal path? If I was sticking something in the way, I'd prefer the NVA, because I've no contriol over what's fitted to a DAC.

Just my views. Others may differ.

[samjones]

I own an M-dac which I used briefly directly into a power amp, I soon found the constraints of only having digital inputs too limiting, furthermore I felt the DAC sounded better with the volume fixed into a good passive preamp. Really best if by some means you can do a comparison and then choose

[terrybooth]

Depends how many sources you have. I have Phono and TFS. The TFS is actually linked via it's internal sound card and via an external DAC (more for historical reasons than for sound, the TFS sounds better through the Asus Xonar One DAC).

In addition, in my set up, I am multi-amping, so I need to split the outputs into the amps.