I am curious to know WHY there’s so few pre-amp/DAC combo units are out there? Something with both input selection, AND, volume control? I am finding the need, space, requirement for a pre-amp as unnecessary when you consider, a box for DAC, plus a box for network streaming, plus amp, plus transpor…

[image] abeiklou: Pls explain to me, why including network streaming is OK but not pre-amp with input selection which to me is a simpler task. A lower quality network streamer will (mostly) only affect that input. Any defects in a preamp will affect anything the DAC does. A network streaming…

Are you familiar with the Stellar gain cell DAC, it’s a preamp too One can have one box do it all but once it’s large enough to contain two separate power supplies and everything else so they can be optimized and not interact, the box is BIG There are always compromises. The more duties performed…

Brett’s exactly right. We do have the Stellar DAC and pre that covers both duties in one box and does a darn good job. He’s also right because when you combine these separate duties into one box, there are compromises in the power supply trying to optimize it for both functions.

Interesting question. For me, my DirectStream DAC is my pre-amp, because I only have digital sources and this DAC’s analog output works great with my power amp and speaker combination. It’d be fun to see a future DSD product evolution which could incorporate the old NuWave Phono Converter circuit i…

Then you can use two. I’ve seen the latest Elac amp. Designer did that. Had one switching power supply for digital part, one toroidal for analog.

I actually using a HT as pre-amp now, but it doesn’t have Balanced out. No receiver I’ve seen has balanced out, only sound processors needing external amp do, and since I already have a 2-ch amp for my stereo, it’s overkill to get another 5/7-ch amp for my HT duties. Also, I want high quality pre-a…

Don’t get me wrong, I know for ultimate performance, you shouldn’t combine them in one box, so no proposing it for DS, BUT for the next DS Jr, to me it’s a great feature to add. It already has volume control, so all is needed is a more robust pre-amp circuitry, AND some input selection, maybe skippi…

Don’t know what price range you are looking for but this piece does what you need and sounds great too. Plus since you can buy it from Audio Advisor and have 30 days to test it out. I have used one in my Family Room system for over three years. I use balanced outputs to the amp and SE to the subs.…

I don’t like the sound of ESS, and I don’t want chip DACs as they get outdated easily, I am either gonna get Chord or PS Audio directstream.

Why not a pre-amp DAC combo? Like a HT sound processor?

Audio Components DACs

rajugsw August 23, 2019, 10:44am 7

Here’s my solution to the “problem”.

Sony STR-1080N

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Why not a pre-amp DAC combo? Like a HT sound processor?

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