DK Design Group vs. Boulder

Audiofankj, I'm intrigued that since the DK is an integrated amp, you heard it with an Aesthetix preamp. How was this possible? Can the DK's own preamp section be bypassed?

Yes, or at least I beleive so... as I controlled the volume to the Aesthetix via remote. I heard the system with just the DK as well as the Aesthetix just driving the amp section. With the Aesthetix driving the DK, it sounded much better. I don't recall the price of the Aesthetix preamp, however I am quite sure the preamp alone was almost twice the amount of the DK. The preamp was used for both cd and vinyl input...

Audiofankj, your memory is either very clouded or you have never heard the DK. First of all, the DK Mk. 2 is not $5K, it is $3K. The DK Signature is $5K.

Second of all, the Mk. 2 never had a feature that allows you to bypass the preamp section. So there is no way you could have heard it with the Aesthetix preamp.

Finally, don't forget that the Mk. 2 is long discontinued and has been replaced with the Mk. 3.

Perhaps it was a Mk 3. Who knows, they have a new model every other month... I will find out next time I am there. There was a preamp running just the amp section. Whether that is model 2, 3, 4, etc. I can't keep up or better yet just don't care to.

Oh- my memory slipped yet again Audioaril - I can't recall what you said the rest of your system was?