I have a question. You have more experience than I…..
Currently: PC output & DAC output go to a passive pre amplifier with a selection switch and stepped attenuator – XLR. DAC had only 1 input.
Then this goes to all sorts of stuff eventually to a stereo amplifier 100w. ALL XLR
Is there something called a digital pre amplifier??
I want to use the optical output of the PC (that I have stored music in FLAC - digital) and the output from the CD transport to go into something…… that I can switch between the 2 sources and also have some method of volume control. For some reason the output from the CD is louder than the output from the PC
So I am sort of looking for a digital/optical passive pre-amplifier. Does this exist??
Hi Guys
Currently: PC output & DAC output go to a passive pre amplifier with a selection switch and stepped attenuator – XLR. DAC had only 1 input.
Then this goes to all sorts of stuff eventually to a stereo amplifier 100w. ALL XLR
Is there something called a digital pre amplifier??
I want to use the optical output of the PC (that I have stored music in FLAC - digital) and the output from the CD transport to go into something…… that I can switch between the 2 sources and also have some method of volume control. For some reason the output from the CD is louder than the output from the PC
So I am sort of looking for a digital/optical passive pre-amplifier. Does this exist??
I already have a separate DAC
Let's work backwards. For your stereo amp to receive a usable signal, it has to be analog. So the "in between device" you are looking for, must either be some form of a DAC with (analog) output volume (to receive the digital outputs of your sources)....or a purely analog preamp (where the digital to analog conversion has previously occurred)...which you already have....albeit in "passive" form.
What is unsatisfactory about your current setup? The loudness issue?
That could be cured by using an active analog pre, rather than a passive one.
From the DAC it is all analogue. The passive pre does have volume adjustment as a stepped attenuator. The stepped attenuator adjusts the level that eventually goes to the power amp.
My issue is I want to remove the DAC in the PC and send it to my separate DAC.
So that means I have 2 optical/digital sources. The DAC has one input.
I need a box/something to connect the PC digital out and the CD transport digital out. It needs a switch so I can select PC or CD and volume adjustment so I can control the volume as the CD is far louder than the PC digital.
I want to use the optical output of the PC (that I have stored music in FLAC - digital) and the output from the CD transport to go into something…… that I can switch between the 2 sources and also have some method of volume control. For some reason the output from the CD is louder than the output from the PC
What you’re describing is a basic – read common – pre-amp. Just about all of them these days accept digital inputs. Seems painfully obvious, so maybe I’m missing something?
As far as I can see, your separate DAC is redundant. The pre-amp can do that.
So I am sort of looking for a digital/optical passive pre-amplifier. Does this exist??
• My pre-amp only has XLR inputs and uses a stepped attenuator. It was quite expensive, so while it may have to go, it is audiophile quality but only accept XLR and analogue inputs.
• So no my pre-amp cannot do what a DAC can do
• My separate DAC is relatively new and I would rather like to keep it.
I am not looking for a passive pre-amp, as I already have one. Perhaps my terminology is not right.
I am looking for a box (for want of a better word) to accept 2 optical/digital inputs that has a switching mechanism (manual or electronic) and a volume adjustment mechanism,
It sounds like you want to dump both the computer and CD transport to a switching device that will then feed your DAC, which in turn will be fed to an input to your analog pre amp? If that’s the case, then something like this is probably the best you’re going to be able to do. You aren’t going to find a pass-through device of this type that will do digital-domain volume adjustment – at least not in any consumer-product line. There's just no demand for such a product when any common AVR can do all that. And I expect that any professional-grade hardware solution that might be available will cost way more than you want to spend.
I can understand your desire to keep your current pre-amp, but if it only accepts analog inputs and all your sources are digital-output only (or it’s your desire to only use the same), then it obviously isn’t meeting your needs. I apologize if this sounds blunt or harsh, but it seems to me you should either change out your source components to some that are compatible with your pre-amp – i.e. analog components with XLR outputs - or get a pre-amp that’s compatible with your source components.
As a bonus with the latter option, it shouldn’t be hard to find a pre-amp that has a trim adjustment for the inputs, to solve your volume mismatch issue.
It seems you may have cornered yourself a bit with these "audiophile" components. A DAC with only one input??
It would be really, really helpful if you gave specific brand/models. Does your CD player have a coax (rca) digital out (or is it an "audiophile" model too)?
If so, you could feed that and the PC optical to one of these http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/SRC2496.aspx, then feed the optical out to the in on you DAC.
Maybe cover the "Behringer" logo?
It is an interesting journey of discovery....ha-ha.
Dan
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