Adding a pre amp

[gmgraves]

1 hour ago, mustafakaiser said:

Hello guys.

 

At the moment I have a PS Audio Direct stream DAC with a JEFF ROWLAND 625S2 power amp and use SOTM set of 3. I am thinking to add the PS audio BKH pre amp. 

 

Can anyone shed some light on this?  

Cheers

I assume that DAC has a level control? Do you have any other sound sources other than that DAC? An FM Tuner maybe, a turntable perhaps, or something else like a cassette deck or R-to-R tape recorder? If the DAC is your only source, and if it has it's own level control, then I say save your money. A preamp's job is two-fold. It is there to provide enough inputs to allow the user to switch between sound sources, and it allows for a bit of gain for sources that might have lower outputs than others. Some preamps even have "trim-pots" for each high-level input so that they all can be equalized to give the same loudness at the same at the same setting on the main volume control. Finally (and this has become rarer and rarer recently), preamps can provide the proper amplification and RIAA equalization to to accept a phonograph cartridge. 

 

Taken as a whole, the above description seems to show that if your DAC is you're only source, you don't need a preamp (even though you might want one, but that's a different subject). Another thing to consider is that most all preamps are active devices with transistor, tube, or IC gain stages in them. every active circuit that your audio signal passes through adds distortion and noise. Distortion and noise that your system does not have as of now. It's probably not much noise and distortion, but it will change the sound of your system. How much and in what way is impossible to predetermine, and you may or may not like the change. If the added functionality of a preamp is needed, then the tradeoff between the extra noise and distortion added by the extra gain stages and the added capability afforded by the addition of a preamp into your system is probably worth it.