I do all my listening through iTunes. I use a Glasshouse passive pre amp. I took it out of the loop the other week bit I had to run the iTunes volume control at about 25%. I know that is generally frowned apron. But I found it to give me better sound that way then with the pre amp in the system
Passive pre vs. proper digital volume control, if it's just attenuation then makes sense to cut out an extra component, but I still prefer using an active pre.
Passive pre vs. proper digital volume control, if it's just attenuation then makes sense to cut out an extra component, but I still prefer using an active pre.
I used Passive Pres for donkey's. Home brew, manufacturers' and a couple of LDRs.
For a while, I've had Col's TQ Listen active pre that goes really well with his power amps.
I think, as usual in hi-fi, it depends on the other components.
The SQ issue I think is that my system sounds better (though not light and day) as it is now. I remember Jason saying he felt it sounded a bit better the other way round, but I might be wrong. In any event, I'm not missing the volume pot. The fact JRiver has a mobile ap means I can control the whole rig from my seating position, so I can be lazy to boot. The possibility of the PC crashing and maxing out the volume is of some concern, but I have never known my PC to have crashed anything other than silently in several years, so I am taking the risk... We'll see... Overall, I was only able to justify to myself buying the TOCA if I sold pretty much all of the rest of my kit. I should get something decent for the NVA P90SA, so it's for sale sign is at the printers. The Phono 2 (plus 2 PSUs) will be going too. It's bye-bye to vinyl I'm afraid, though I will keep the PL-71 and my LPs. I will wheel them out and use the Claymore to play it all through from time to time... :-)
I know how you feel, I have stripped my hifi right back to justify the Iridium.
The biggest kick in the nuts was selling my balanced mains supply and the AG1500 regen. You forget what effect these have until you take them out of your system. However the hifi sounds better with the Iridium in and the PSU's out then with the PSU's in and my previous amp in place.
I'll replace them but in time. I plan to go for a hand made BPS first.
I have preferred the pre-less approach in the past, but I have been wary of it for the reasons Dave gave. I run the TV through my system, so really need some kind of pre-amp/gain control facility.
The only thing I found which was almost as good SQ wise as no pre, was an LDR pre (lightspeed). It really suited my NVA amp at the time.
But the SECA seem to prefer a good active pre, the image is deeper into the room and the slight grain/edginess of the LDR is gone altogether. It really will depend on the system you run, but IME these SECA prefer to be matched to a very good active pre with appropriate output impedance.
It may be worth remembering if you match your SECA with a pre with less than perfect phase response, then much of Col's hard work in negating phase distortion in the power amp design is undone
I have preferred the pre-less approach in the past, but I have been wary of it for the reasons Dave gave. I run the TV through my system, so really need some kind of pre-amp/gain control facility.
The only thing I found which was almost as good SQ wise as no pre, was an LDR pre (lightspeed). It really suited my NVA amp at the time.
But the SECA seem to prefer a good active pre, the image is deeper into the room and the slight grain/edginess of the LDR is gone altogether. It really will depend on the system you run, but IME these SECA prefer to be matched to a very good active pre with appropriate output impedance.
It may be worth remembering if you match your SECA with a pre with less than perfect phase response, then much of Col's hard work in negating phase distortion in the power amp design is undone
Interesting Alan. I hadn't even considered your point in the last sentence. I will keep that in mind. For the time being then, it seems as long as willing to shoulder the risk of my speakers being shredded, then as I'm hearing, I'm not losing any SQ from going digital with the volume control.
I have preferred the pre-less approach in the past, but I have been wary of it for the reasons Dave gave. I run the TV through my system, so really need some kind of pre-amp/gain control facility.
The only thing I found which was almost as good SQ wise as no pre, was an LDR pre (lightspeed). It really suited my NVA amp at the time.
But the SECA seem to prefer a good active pre, the image is deeper into the room and the slight grain/edginess of the LDR is gone altogether. It really will depend on the system you run, but IME these SECA prefer to be matched to a very good active pre with appropriate output impedance.
It may be worth remembering if you match your SECA with a pre with less than perfect phase response, then much of Col's hard work in negating phase distortion in the power amp design is undone
Interesting Alan. I hadn't even considered your point in the last sentence. I will keep that in mind. For the time being then, it seems as long as willing to shoulder the risk of my speakers being shredded, then as I'm hearing, I'm not losing any SQ from going digital with the volume control.
My experience with digital volume controls is that, despite the theory that keeps being waved in our faces, they don't introduce audible nasties.
Don't mind me Ben, I'm probably talking out my rear end as usual! I genuinely don't know if what I said holds or not, its just a little deduction on my part.
I have preferred the pre-less approach in the past, but I have been wary of it for the reasons Dave gave. I run the TV through my system, so really need some kind of pre-amp/gain control facility.
The only thing I found which was almost as good SQ wise as no pre, was an LDR pre (lightspeed). It really suited my NVA amp at the time.
But the SECA seem to prefer a good active pre, the image is deeper into the room and the slight grain/edginess of the LDR is gone altogether. It really will depend on the system you run, but IME these SECA prefer to be matched to a very good active pre with appropriate output impedance.
It may be worth remembering if you match your SECA with a pre with less than perfect phase response, then much of Col's hard work in negating phase distortion in the power amp design is undone
Interesting Alan. I hadn't even considered your point in the last sentence. I will keep that in mind. For the time being then, it seems as long as willing to shoulder the risk of my speakers being shredded, then as I'm hearing, I'm not losing any SQ from going digital with the volume control.
My experience with digital volume controls is that, despite the theory that keeps being waved in our faces, they don't introduce audible nasties.
Same here Dave. Never heard any issue using a digital volume control.
On the subject of preamps, my system sounds better with rather than without.....I wish it were the other way round.
Comments
I use a Glasshouse passive pre amp. I took it out of the loop the other week bit I had to run the iTunes volume control at about 25%. I know that is generally frowned apron. But I found it to give me better sound that way then with the pre amp in the system
The possibility of the PC crashing and maxing out the volume is of some concern, but I have never known my PC to have crashed anything other than silently in several years, so I am taking the risk... We'll see...
Overall, I was only able to justify to myself buying the TOCA if I sold pretty much all of the rest of my kit. I should get something decent for the NVA P90SA, so it's for sale sign is at the printers. The Phono 2 (plus 2 PSUs) will be going too. It's bye-bye to vinyl I'm afraid, though I will keep the PL-71 and my LPs. I will wheel them out and use the Claymore to play it all through from time to time... :-)
The only thing I found which was almost as good SQ wise as no pre, was an LDR pre (lightspeed). It really suited my NVA amp at the time.
But the SECA seem to prefer a good active pre, the image is deeper into the room and the slight grain/edginess of the LDR is gone altogether. It really will depend on the system you run, but IME these SECA prefer to be matched to a very good active pre with appropriate output impedance.
It may be worth remembering if you match your SECA with a pre with less than perfect phase response, then much of Col's hard work in negating phase distortion in the power amp design is undone
I hadn't even considered your point in the last sentence.
I will keep that in mind.
For the time being then, it seems as long as willing to shoulder the risk of my speakers being shredded, then as I'm hearing, I'm not losing any SQ from going digital with the volume control.
I think a 1981 v 2014 system bake-off is in order...
I've never been to a proper hifi club...
;-)
On the subject of preamps, my system sounds better with rather than without.....I wish it were the other way round.