looking for preamp project for Aleph 3

[Dukja]

It has been 8 years (time flies!) I rarely use either the Light Note or DCB1 in my system (same old Audio-GD Ref-7 => Aleph 3 => Philharmonitor speaker). Everytime I put the pre-amp in the chain (above 2 and Audio-GD Phoenix as a preamp), immediately I have to take it out. That bad. The only reason why I want a pre-amp or volume control is that sometimes my source is a bluray player and I have no way to digitally change volume.

So I am still searching. Maybe a digital volume controller or a DAC with digital volume is my solution? I really hate to lose Ref-7...

 

[Zen Mod]

if you put , say, just 10K log pot in between your DAC and amp , how you can describe - what is good and what's missing?

 

[Dukja]

if you put , say, just 10K log pot in between your DAC and amp , how you can describe - what is good and what's missing?

Hi ZM:

Sorry for the late reply. I was just so ashamed that I didn't have time to unsolder/re-solder the pot to compare. But I finally did.

My lack of motivation was due to reading the impedance mismatch between the pot and amp so that the parasitic capacitance will act like low-pass filter, which is almost exactly what I am experiencing if I put DCB1 in place. So I was hesitate to try only volume pot.

But I did find a 10k Alps blue pot in my drawer, so I tried it. To my surprise, even with a 3-foot cable between pot and Aleph3, it actually sounds better then DCB1. The preference order is like: No pot/preamp > 10K pot > DCB1. Again the degradation are losing focus, blurred sound stage, and lack of bass attack. But 10k Pot only is close to the direct connection.

I wonder if my next step is to get a DACT or Goldpoint passive volume control?

 

[Zen Mod]

open new thread , for clarity sake , and present your actual DCB1 or whatever preamp is under question , so we can see what's exactly critical there from technical point , to conclude what is so resulting in decreased sound quality