Reference quality line stage?

A couple of last comments:

Sean, when I connect my DAC directly to my amps, the sound level is about where I normally listen, or a wee bit more. While that's OK, it doesn't leave much room for CDs with low recording levels, or the occasional bout of headbanging. So I decided on a bit of gain. The Blowtorch's 8db should be plenty.

Gregm, thanks for the TVC suggestion. I've already got one - a Bent Audio NOH. In a development that surprised me no end, it was summarily demoted to the TV system by my Audion. While the NOH is very nice tonally, in my system it rolled off the bass and lacked dynamics and focus. When I got it I was very enthusiastic (you can see my rave review over on AA). In comparison to my SimAudio P-5 it was a musical revelation, but the Audion let me know that much better results were possible.

Bob: First of all, i had no idea what the rating of the Blowtorch was in terms of gain.

I based my statements on the interaction between a Blowtorch and an amp rated at 200 / 400 with a factory rated input impedance of 24K. Using a one box CD player as a source, the volume control on the Blowtorch had to be cranked near maximum to obtain "reasonable" spl levels. Even at this volume setting, the sound was not punchy or dynamic. I didn't pass judgment on the Blowtorch in terms of sonics as the rest of the system was not of the same calibre as the Blowtorch itself. Having said that, the lack of gain was apparent in this specific set-up, so i thought that i would pass this information on based on this experience.

While i know that you guys / CTC would bend over backwards to take care of a customer based on past experiences dealing with you, $10K+ is a lot of money to spend on something that could be initially quite disappointing. That's why i suggested talking to either you or John PRIOR to purchasing one of these units to get the low-down. NO offense to you or your product, just trying to be helpful and honest. If i thought it wasn't worthy, i wouldn't have bothered to suggest such things. Hope you and any others interested in a Blowtorch understand where i'm coming from. I was NOT "knocking" the Blowtorch.

Having said that, I appreciate your honesty in terms of clarifying that your product ( like all others ) should be electrically compatible with those connected to it. Many other manufacturers would simply sell a product knowing that it wouldn't work well in a given situation and then tell the customer that they must have a cable based problem. I'm glad that CTC acknowledges component / system diversity and offer a suitable "real world" solution to such problems based on proper engineering. Sean
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Sean, the 24K input impedance is OK as won't drop much, if any gain, there......Sounds like the amp only had 20db of gain instead of 28.3db which has become a standard of sorts.......Running balanced into 100k amp impedance with 28.3db of gain from a 2v out DAC I run the volume at 10:30 or so into 89db speakers here.....Running the unit single ended into 50K I run the pots at 12 O'Clock and was how I set it up five years ago. Easy to get more gain if necessary......Bet that was at the dance club in Desplaines, Illinois which was a huge and very boomy room about the size including height of a basketball court......Not sure the Chicago Symphony could fill that room much less anything for use in a home HiFi :-)

Save $7k to $12k and buy a H-Cat. Nothing else comes close.

Tbg, how would you know? You have never had the bulk of preamps mentioned in this thread, including ours, in your system. Norm, your priorities are also different than the original poster as you have always thrived on leading edge at the expense of a proper stage including depth.....Your system will just about recreate a drum in your room whereas most of us prefer to be taken to the site of the recording.....