Wadia Owner - with or without preamp

27ix with volume setting over 90 (always) and directly into Mcintosh MC 2000 tube. That's it for me.

If you are asking based solely on whether one likes the sound better with or without a preamp, only you can answer that after listening to your choice of Pre.

However, if you already know you like the direct sound, but have more than one source as I do (Wadia 861 and VPI TT), and are wondering if you'd be compromising too much in sound quality for the convenience of switching sources, then I would agree with BTSTRG. The Placette Passive Pre is a good solution.

The Placette allows you to keep the Wadia digital volume at 100 (which makes a huge difference), and yet I do not notice any coloration.....at times I think I hear a coloration, but then when I A/B it again, I conclude that I'm just imagining it.

When I have a couple extra $, I may even try the Placette Active, just to see if it adds some dynamics. But if you like the direct no preamp route, I don't think you can go wrong with the passive.

Just my two cents worth.

A similar thread came up on 8/15/04 but it was re. the Wadia 302. Here is the link & my post on the subject:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1092614797&openusid&zzBombaywalla&4&5#Bombaywalla

Hope that it helps.

Run it through a HIGH Quality Preamp and it will sound MUCH better.
Digital volume pot degrade the dynamics....

Thomas,
Eigentlich, was ist ein "digital volume pot"?? Danke.
(Wadia veraendert das volume mit ein DSP Technik)