Connecting Wiim Ultra to Vintage Receiver or Integrated Amp

[finaldaze]

I've not actually used a separate pre-amp in the past. I'd like to get some verification for connecting my Wiim Ultra (arriving tomorrow) to my old vintage pieces.

The "best" way to connect the Wiim is to connect the Line Out to the Main In on the vintage unit by removing the strap or switching off the connection between pre-amp and main amp on the old unit?

You could choose to just connect the Wiim Line Out to something like CD or Aux input on the vintage unit but this would add an additional source of noise/distortion (from the internal pre-amp) that is not really needed for this configuration?

If you needed the receiver or the inputs working on the vintage unit in addition to using the Wiim, you could connect the line out from the Wiim to the Main in on the vintage piece AND connect the Pre-Out from the vintage unit to the RCA Line In on the Wiim? But this would also result in two sources of noise/distortion when using the vintage unit inputs (or receiver) as the source?

Thanks in advance for feedback. I think I understand this all correctly. But I'd like to have some verification since I've not actually set something like this up before.

 

[finaldaze]

And BTW, I'm not saying I expect to hear a difference between the above scenarios! Just asking for verification of my technical understanding.

 

[obsessive9119]

At least with my vintage NAD, the preamp adds some amplification to the inputs; you can bypass it, which yes removes a potential source of noise and distortion, but you lose some output power.

 

[staticV3]

You could choose to just connect the Wiim Line Out to something like CD or Aux input on the vintage unit but this would add an additional source of noise/distortion (from the internal pre-amp) that is not really needed for this configuration?

It's likely.

As an example:

Source

Here, noise drops by 11dB in one channel and 17dB in the other by bypassing the internal Pre.