If I'm in your shoes I'd find a good dealer who'll let you demo some preamps at home -- which they should if they're a good dealer. Preamps can have a dramatic affect on the sound you hear, and I doubt the volume control on the DAC is doing your system any favors in the areas your looking to improve upon. I'd start with a good tubed preamp just to see where that takes you and go from there. Didn't see what you're using for cables/interconnects, but they can also warm things up pretty significantly depending on what you choose. Best of luck.
Looking to add warmth
I'm looking for a solution to add warmth/richness or "emotion" to my rig. Currently the sound is what I would describe as dry/uninvolving, very accurate, but not pulling me in per say.
At the moment I'm using a HTPC running high bitdepth tracks via USB into a Wyred DAC2 being used as a pre to directly feed an Aragon 8008BB driving Philharmonic Audio 2's.
I would be spending money on room treatments, but my room is not very permitting. I live in a geodesic home and the living/listening room is very odd: there are few straight walls, its very open to the rest of the house, and there is a steel spiral staircase directly behind the listening position.
I've debated switching out the DAC to a PS Audio Perfectwave MkII w/bridge and foregoing USB altogether.
Or keeping the DAC2 and selling the 8008BB to switch to a warmer amp, or possibly go the tube route.
Or adding a USB converter of sorts to feed the AES/EBU input instead of the USB on the DAC2.
Tube buffer?
Adding a tube pre-amp? Or is adding another link in the chain only going to make matters worse?
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.
At the moment I'm using a HTPC running high bitdepth tracks via USB into a Wyred DAC2 being used as a pre to directly feed an Aragon 8008BB driving Philharmonic Audio 2's.
I would be spending money on room treatments, but my room is not very permitting. I live in a geodesic home and the living/listening room is very odd: there are few straight walls, its very open to the rest of the house, and there is a steel spiral staircase directly behind the listening position.
I've debated switching out the DAC to a PS Audio Perfectwave MkII w/bridge and foregoing USB altogether.
Or keeping the DAC2 and selling the 8008BB to switch to a warmer amp, or possibly go the tube route.
Or adding a USB converter of sorts to feed the AES/EBU input instead of the USB on the DAC2.
Tube buffer?
Adding a tube pre-amp? Or is adding another link in the chain only going to make matters worse?
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.
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- 33 posts total
- 33 posts total