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In Reply to: RE: Thanks for your additional comments posted by Dave_K on August 18, 2015 at 08:24:54
For decades I've read this or that front end finally negates the need for a preamp. I've tried many passive preamps, DACs with digital and analog variable outputs and CD players with adjustable outputs. In the end none sounded as properly fleshed out as a quality preamp or integrated amplifier. Others will disagree.
Personally I would go with an AX-5 Twenty rather than a direct drive a VX-5 from any source. The AX-5 will drive most any speaker. From what I understand the Twenty upgrades provide even more power and I've seen first hand that they do run cooler. Also either amp would welcome a speaker cable upgrade.
Follow Ups:
A few of my previous digital sources included volume control and I generally wasn't impressed with a direct to amp connection. That changed when I got the Akurate DSM, which has a preamp section with analog volume control for analog sources and a hybrid volume control for digital sources. It completely wiped the floor with the preamp I was using and thought I loved, which was a Simaudio P-5 Limited Edition.
Once I had acquired both the DSM and the AX-5, I experimented with controlling volume via the Akurate DSM, using the AX-5 in processor pass through mode (unity gain), versus disabling the DSM's volume control and using the AX-5 to control volume. In those experiments, there was little to no difference as long as the reference volume level (i.e. fixed analog attenuation) was set appropriately in the DSM. If anything, using the DSM volume control with the AX-5 in PP mode might have been a shade clearer and more dynamic. Those comparisons were made using my own Wilson Benesch Vertex and Dynaudio C2 speakers as well as Magico S3s at the dealer who sold me the DSM.
That's why I'm curious about going direct to the VX-5.
Agreed.
I own the VX-5 Twenty as well as ARC Reference 75SE amp. To my ears in my system, both of these amps sound better driven by my ARC Ref 5SE preamp rather than directly into my PS Audio DirectSteam DAC even though the DirectStream is the best sounding source that I have owned that I've run directly into my amps. Just my 2 cents.
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