Sound without the Preamp ?

After "getting into Et's post", I had to try my Sony XA7 (a well regarded CD player or transport) direct into my McCormack amp using the XA7s variable output. Volume control is on the remote. Music quality was so relentlessly detailed and edged that within half an hour it felt like my ears were bleeding; but the tremendous detail was initially captivating. Befroe you guys roast me for this though, I will admit that the probably poor to mediocre variable volume control of the Sony is likely to blame for the poor quality music. It was a big relief to go back to my DAC and SF Line 2 tubed pre-amp. I suspect that good CD players designed to go direct to amp have a very high quality volume control system, eg Carl's CD-50. Any comments about "variable outs"? Craig.

Redkiwi, go to their website. Jeff does it the right way, or no way at all. Unlike every other compromised CD player (including the SCD-1), it uses discrete output devices and the VERY best switched resistor network to control volume. No CD player with volume control that I'm aware of uses such a compromised approach as the Theta integrated DAC that you used as an example.

Joe re ULTIMATE ATTENUATOR. I need to be more careful with Friday posts after the second magarita. The shunt to ground that I referred to is the Ultimate Attenuator from Electronic Visionary Systems. I use the balanced version with my Melos Soloist Triode Monoblocks. I am VERY happy with them. They turned out to be a far better solution than any of the passive preamps I tried. The sound is fantasic without any of the loss I perceived with seperate passive units. I agree with redkiwi that this is probably better with tube amps amps because of the relatively high impedance. The speakers are Dunlavy SC-Vs. Driving my Melos are a Theta Pro GenVa and the new MSB Platinum DAC/Upsampler. I have multiple digital sources. I use Nordost quattro fil as the analog interconnect. With any decent CD I prefer the sound direct in as opposed to going through a passive, a Melos MA333B or a CJ 16ls. There are some CDs where extra tube noise make an abominable CD of a great performance listenable so I am going to keep either my ARc SP-11 or the Melos SHA Maestro ref as an euphonic filter. Downsides recabling for Vinyl but I agree with someone on audiogon who said that is best to listen to either Vinyl or CD but not switch during a listening session. The Balanced Attenuators must be mounted in your power amp. He no longer makes them as part of the connector. Finally, even with the Ultimate Attenuator, these isn't certainty that your DAC or CD and your poweramp will work as a combination without a line stage. Bottom line for me absolutely better than any passive I have tried (which is most available). Better thanclass A tube preamps on a decent recording. Finally, my wife who is as big a music fanatic as I am agrees which is probably the biggest endorsement. One of the reasons that I have so many preamps is we had different tastes in tube preamps even down to the tube sets!