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Original Message
RE: DAC with USB capabilities and built in high quality Preamp
Posted by ted_b on February 9, 2012 at 17:45:28:
My Antelope Zodiac Gold DAC (24/384k via USB) has a great preamp section, so good that I replaced what I was doing with a $20k list Concert Fidelity CF080 preamp with it and barely lost a step (didn't need all the inputs, etc).
I demo'd about 15 DACs over the past 2 years inhouse, and always tried them in direct-to-amp mode (when available). In every example prior to the Antelope the result was pitiful. Either poorly designed analog stages, or poor digital volume controls, or some version of "let's just throw this in there to compete as a preamp". No good. I went into the Antelope demo with the same expectations and was blown away. They use very good stepped relay attenuation, and it shows. Not that this DAC is a full-function preamp; they have only two analog inputs (RCA and TRS), along with the plethora of digital ones.
I am selling one of my Antelope Gold/Voltkius combos (Voltikus is the add-on power supply) but PM me. Not wanting to hijack this thread.