2. amps-preamps
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Newbie Question: Why do you need a PreAmp?

Is it possible to bypass the preamp completely if I am not interested in DSP? I know the new Marantz DV9500 with the latest Cirrus Logic DAC has a built in volume control, and other souces like my PC, and outboard Dolby Digital Decoder have their own volume controls, so I guess my question is why do I still need a Preamp? Does it somehow add a voltage to the input source, or is it some other thing I am missing here?

Thanks,

Jason
jfiluk

Showing 2 responses by elizabeth

elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Preamp originally served several purposes, it was for having multiple sources, and for the Phono section, and to have tone controls and a tape loop.
Once the Phono section, and the tone controls were dropped the preamp was mostly a glorified source selector switch/volume control.
If you only have one source, and it has a volume control, the preamp is not needed.
(One issue is some sources do not 'drive' some amplifiers well... They wind up sounding 'thin'
If this is not the case for your combo, go for it.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
?? Your 'source' would have standard and variable outputs.
Use the standard ones from the source Cd player for the preamp. Every Cd player etc that I have ever seen that has variable outputs ALSO has standard line level outputs.
And the output from a line source like a CD player would not hurt your pre whether you used the varied volume controlled output, or the line level fixed output.
(I would guess you are talking about someone putting the output of one preamp or receiver into the input of another preamp... That certainly could overload the second ones input section!
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