Count me in as one of the converts to the high quality preamp sounds better club.
I started with running the DS Jr directly into amps in one room. Adding a Gain Cell DAC in the signal path took it up a level.
I then ran a DS Sr direct into amps in another room. Added a BHK Pre to the signal path and that took things up several levels.
Now I’m spoiled…I now notice small differences in digital vs analog volume controls in my various headphone rigs and am now on a quest to switch everything to high quality analog volume controls
I started out using a DSD Jr run directly into a BHK 250. I Thought it sounded pretty good, but it didn’t match the overall musicality of my previous Ayon CD player which had a tubed output stage, and was also connected directly to the amp. I latter replaced the Jr with the DSD Sr, which was also connected directly to the amp. The Sr was a big step up in resolution, detail retrieval, and dynamics, compared to the Ayon and the Jr, but still lacked the overall musicality of the Ayon. It wasn’t until I added the BHK preamp, that everything came together. The BHK preamp improved every single aspect of the sound. With the preamp the overall musicality of my system was taken to new heights. I resisted adding a preamp for a long time, because it seemed like a waste of money seeing that I only had one source, a CD player, and now a transport/DAC, but I now consider a good preamp an essential component for achieving great sound.
Ditto Gary M, exact same experience here. Having a system with the DS SR DAC as my sole source and not being a headphone use, both idea of and cost of a preamp seemed pointless. Still I tried it and there is no turning back.
No turning back is a very confident statement. I will be trying the BHK preamp and seeing how it does in my system. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Thanks!
If you do go with preamp (whether it ends up being a BHK or something like Schiit), my experience is you NEED balanced connections between pre and power amps. I have done lots of experimenting with SGCD, BHK Pre, M700, Conrad Johnson PV10 tube pre and CJ MV55 poweramps, and find that the CJ to CJ (single ended rca is the only option) goes good together and the BHK Pre & M700 (with balanced connections) go good together.
Yes, agreed. But since a PS Audio amp is already a part of the equation, which is known to sound better fully balanced than thru rca’s, any preamp he decides to go with needs to be chosen wisely to stay at that quality level.
I successfully ran my DSD directly to the BHK250 in my all digital streaming system for a couple of years. After all the guys on here swear that the BHK Pre improved the sound I bought one from a dealer closing them out when PS Audio went direct. Well… Damn it, they were right! I didn’t want to believe it.
Since you’re willing to spend $2k to improve your analog, why not spend $2k to improve your digital and buy a used BHK Pre? You won’t regret it.
Rob, more realism in musical reproduction is always welcome. Affordability is a different matter. Once I put the preamp in my rig and give it some burn in time I’ll know the degree of improvement and weather it is significant enough to matter to me.
DSD has quite high output impedance, so the preamplifier can improve the sound of the system.
My only sound source is DSD, so I did not buy a preamplifier, but assembled a balanced buffer with low output impedance. It cost me no more than $ 50 and it has a very positive effect on sound quality. The signal from DSD is transmitted to three-way active loudspeakers via van den Hul The Platinum Hybrid MKII cables (the wires are platinum).
I have the same question and I feel like a pre-amp shouldn’t improve sound, IF the source has good volume control. However, the problem becomes when you have to control multiple devices, and THEN, a BAD Pre-amp could do harm to the sound, hence the higher end pre-amps fit the bill.
