hi
I have a Psaudio ds dac. Will I be able to connect it directly to a pair of monoblocks. How does it sound without a preamp. Also any thoughts on this class D amp? Better than a class AB ( Schiit Ragnarok)
Yes and yes.
If you have efficient speakers, 95dB/m plus, you probably won’t like the audible noise floor but certainly try it with the DS -20dB attenuator. Balanced connection with good quality cable helps too.
Your power supply infrastructure quality also will matter but for me the BHK preamp added enjoyment and engagement of listening than my P10 but I already had dedicated system feeds…
The order of priority may/will differ for you vs. me. It all matters but yes beyond the DS into the M700 directly is into the diminishing returns realm
Tell us more about your current setup, room, speakers and power
@brett66 My room is a small studio apt. 420 sq ft but my listening area is half of that. My speakers are Audiophysic tempo 4. They are 89db sensitivity. 4 ohms. I have a PS audio DS DAC and I also have an older Audio Research LS 15 tube pre amp (really old) . Do u think I’ll BENEFIT from connecting it inline? Or will a direct connection make more sense? I do have a good power supply. “ beyond the DS into the M700 directly is into the diminishing returns realm” - I don’t understand this. Could u explain in detail please ?
Appreciate your inputs.
I bet it sounds fine direct DS into monos into your speakers. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve heard or built with SEAS and Scanspeak drivers over the years. You’re going to love what the M700 do. They’ll seemingly without effort drive your speakers to their practical limits; also known as hearing damage while still sounding fantastic so be aware.
Get a free version decibel meter app for your phone so you can have a better idea of your listening level. I find DecibelX to compare quite well with a calibrated meter I’ve got. You’ll appreciate it as you grow older…
You’ll simply have to try your pre in-line and listen to decide. I’ve only ever heard the BHK pre so I can’t weigh in on that question or comparison but I’ve read that a scare few active preamps thru history have improved SQ though I also believe this to be largely subjective. I don’t have words to describe the changes the BHK makes but I like it very much nonetheless.
In other words, once you adding separate preamps and trying different cables you’re into the tuning aspect akin to adding spice to a meal
The room and speakers will dominate the character of the sound 80%+. Good, even great, electronics can’t change this but can do less harm to the signal and are important to a point
Do you have plans for a larger space or are you in the 200 sq. ft. for the foreseeable future?
Thanks. I don’t have any plans to increase the listening space/ area. Received the monoblocks and u r right I am hearing a buzz from my speakers (89 db efficiency). Looks like I may have to get a preamp. Still thinking if I should just get the PS Audio stellar gain as its cheaper
I have A DS Sr and M700 and the same speaker sensitivity. I added a couple of -10 dB xlr attenuators and it sounds fantastic. No noise and no artifacts from preamp and extra interconnects.
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Thanks. I haven’t tried the DS DAC’s attenuator yet. Gunna try that today may be that will reduce the noise.
I tried the int -20db in the dac, but that was to to much attenuation. Buy a couple of -10db.
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Got it. I will try that. Btw what preamp are u using ?
No pre. Just the dac via xlr attenuators into the m700s.
A buzz is usually difference cause than hiss. Would you describe the sound as a hum or like sssshhhhh?
typically buzz or hum has a ground loop as the cause (two devices in the system plugged into different electrical circuits is a common cause), whereas a hiss or white noise is the system noise expressed mostly through the tweeter.
Attenuator will reduce the hiss as will a preamp but neither will do much if anything for a hum.
It’s more of a shhhhh
Most of it is coming from the DS and a preamp will usually reduce this but not always.
Cables and power can also contribute to the hiss. Cables that help reject noise produced by devices in your system help the most in my experience.
I would try both the Stellar and BHK, in home is the only way to know which you prefer and synergies with your setup