On the same day that I got my return authorization for the StellarGold preamp it underwent a major change. I was listening to vinyl that night because I was planning on packing it up for return the next morning and wanted to get one last taste of vinyl while I still could. I remember thinking to myself how deep and open the soundstage was. Next morning I switched to the DAC to make one last comparison between the preamp in and out of the system. Most of my listening is done on the digital side and I am quite familiar with its sound. Immediately I noticed the soundstage had opened up considerably. The change was so large that, for the first time in my experience, there was no longer an obvious difference when moving the preamp out. I spent the rest of the day trying to hear differences. I takes some minutes to make the cabling changes so audio memory is a factor in trying to detect differences. Even now I can’t tell if for sure if the preamp is making a positive or negative change. I’m sure given some time differences will make themselves more apparent but just the fact that discerning them is not obvious speaks volumes about the improvements this preamp has undergone. I’m going to spend today making a final decision but things are looking good for the StellarGold.
This is a favorite of mine for the live experience and a sense of realism:
The recording puts me in the audience and the musicality/musicianship is excellent to my ears.
Cheers.
If I need to work to hear a difference or choose a preference I do not make the change, add the tweak, etc.
Amen, brother.
Believe it or not I actually slightly prefer listening to my new StellarGold preamp in the system now compared to DAC direct method. What a turnaround from just a few days ago. Better soundstage and even a bit more punch in the bass. Not at all the dry flavor that it had a first. Can’t think of another explanation other than break in related. Cancelled the return. Couldn’t ask for a better outcome.
MU2 has an excellent analog pre, and D333 also has an excellent analog pre. So I was wondering if two pre amps would be conflicting to each other before I purchased D333. But a few members here have the same setup and love the sound. They were right, the two together improves the sound so much!
But why? Adding one pre is one thing, and adding two improve the sound more? I can not explain it but anyone listen to my system will know the sound is so much better than before.
I use fixed output from my MU2 to my Preamp. This still uses the MU2 preamp stage but not very much. I don’t believe it is the same as a preamp into a preamp. It’s more output stage from the MU2 to a preamp.
I use the fixed output from MU2 too. I believe you are right that the full function of MU2 pre is minimized this way. The rule seems to indicate that adding a high quality pre would improve the sound (instead of DAC to amp directly).
So the 333 pre sounds better than the mu2 pre Donald?
One cannot compares the two side by side since neither pre can be bypassed. All I can say is that for sure pre in D333 is world class. MU2 can drive amp directly with great result, but adding a top-level pre improves the sound more, I believe.
I hooked my MU2 directly up to my Gryphon Apex amp. It sounded swell. Then I ran the MU2 through my Gryphon Commander Preamp. It sounded sweller.
Same with the Mark Levinson 523 preamp. Definitely sounds better with the 523 in the signal path versus MU2 directly to the amp. This is not criticism of the MU2, as purchasing the MU2 is still one of my best audio decisions.