DK Design Group vs. Boulder

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?

Kirk, I don't want to begin a debate here, but I'm really confused by your experience running a preamp into the DK as this is something I was certain was not possible. I downloaded the DK VS1 MK II Reference product manual, and there's no mention anywhere about bypassing the preamp section, nor are there "Pre-In" connectors. It'd be helpful if you could track down which model you heard with the Aesthetix preamp, and provide a link to more info if possible. Thanks.

Actually, Audiofankj, your memory is in fact so clouded that it wasn't even a DK Design Group amplifier you were listening to. You must have mistaken a Musical Fidelity amplifier for the DK, thats probably why you didn't think it souded very good. There is no model of the DK, whether its the Mk. 2, the Mk. 3, or the Signature that allows you to bypass the pre-amp section and not a single one of them has pre-amp inputs.