advantage preamp

[seahag]

whats the advantage of running a preamp?

specially with GC. i do not understand why it doesnt need one

[peranders]

As long as your signal levels are enough and you don't want tone controls, RIAA amp, input selectors etc, you'll don't need a preamp.

[thomgun_lc]

If u have an enough signal levels maybe u don't need to add preamp.Ussually CD player have 2Vpp, so this signal level is sufficient for ur GC.
Although, it's sufficient to drive GC, but i had like to add a preamp, to make the GC more "punchy"(my GC only have 30x gain),maybe i will use a preamp to gain the CD player output signal about 10x, so i will get 300x for total gain, maybe the sound become more dynamic

[Bgt]

this is the ever returning question. From all the threads about preamps there is the question active or passive. It seems most people here with chipamps prefer actives. I have active and passive preamps and to me the passive is always more honest. And it has the same "punch"as an active when using the UCD's f.i.
The Tripath amp. I have is also a chip amp with only 20k Input resistance. Still the passive has no problem with it.

[Bgt]

Originally posted by thomgun_lc
If u have an enough signal levels maybe u don't need to add preamp.Ussually CD player have 2Vpp, so this signal level is sufficient for ur GC.
Although, it's sufficient to drive GC, but i had like to add a preamp, to make the GC more "punchy"(my GC only have 30x gain),maybe i will use a preamp to gain the CD player output signal about 10x, so i will get 300x for total gain, maybe the sound become more dynamic

How can gain make an amp. more dynamic
It only allows you to play it louder untill it distorts.
And the louder you can play it it seems more dynamic.
F.i. my passive is connected to an UCD amp. and on the power amp. I replaced the gain resistor so for full output it only needs 0.7V RMS instead of 2V RMS. So now the volume knob is very sensitive.

[Nordic]

Can I use an AC voltmeter to measure the outputs on my DVD, I suspect 'tis very high?

[peranders]

Sure you can but I'll suspect that you can't make any conclusions, better to use an oscilloscope.

[peranders]

Originally posted by Bgt

How can gain make an amp. more dynamic
It only allows you to play it louder untill it distorts.
And the louder you can play it it seems more dynamic.
F.i. my passive is connected to an UCD amp. and on the power amp. I replaced the gain resistor so for full output it only needs 0.7V RMS instead of 2V RMS. So now the volume knob is very sensitive.

If you have a passive "preamp" you must have some knowledge about how your load look like. If for instance your power amp has rather low input impedance and the potis have rather high you will get a mismatch. If you have an active preamp you are more free. Compare why I have an input buffer in my inverting gainclone which only has 1 kohms input impedance. Much easier to interface with unknown signal sources.

[Bgt]

Originally posted by peranders

If you have a passive "preamp" you must have some knowledge about how your load look like. If for instance your power amp has rather low input impedance and the potis have rather high you will get a mismatch. If you have an active preamp you are more free. Compare why I have an input buffer in my inverting gainclone which only has 1 kohms input impedance. Much easier to interface with unknown signal sources.

I use them for UCD's which have 100k input impedance. Pot is DACT CT2 10k.....no problem.

[seahag]

so if you are trying to split the input signal to drive a few devices. 3.1 5.1
you will require preamp?

Question about quality,
Source, preamp, amp
At the moment I have a crappy dvd player (used as a cd shuttle)going tho an old pioneer reciever used strictly as a router to switch between my sources.
So thats 2 pre amps then it hits my clone.

WHat are your thoughts on that signal path, and what can I do to start out with the best sound I can get b4 it hits my amp?