I welcome your input on why the improvement???
So I have been on the fence, do I or don't I get an external preamp. Well, I remembered that my Class A Oppo HA-1 headphone amp / preamplifier had a high quality preamp built in and decided to use my ACTIVE speakers via that HA-1. Well lo and behold when I set the Gustard R26 dac (bypassing it's built-in preamp) to fixed volume output and controlled the volume via the HA-1 (which has an analog control knob) with connected active speakers via xlr my sound jumped a level in the best way possible. I have attached a description of the HA-1 circuitry and the preamp specifications.
I welcome your input on why the improvement??? Kinda dumbfounded once again. How can this be and thank you in advance for educating a newbie.
Hifi Rose 150b streamer feeding Gustard U18 DDC via USB, Gustard U18 Feeding the Gustard R26 DAC via i2s, R26 feeding the Oppo HA-1 Class A discrete headphone amp / preamplifier via xlr analog in, HA-1 feeding Active speakers via XLR out.
So I have been on the fence, do I or don't I get an external preamp. Well, I remembered that my Class A Oppo HA-1 headphone amp / preamplifier had a high quality preamp built in and decided to use my ACTIVE speakers via that HA-1. Well lo and behold when I set the Gustard R26 dac (bypassing it's built-in preamp) to fixed volume output and controlled the volume via the HA-1 (which has an analog control knob) with connected active speakers via xlr my sound jumped a level in the best way possible. I have attached a description of the HA-1 circuitry and the preamp specifications.
I welcome your input on why the improvement??? Kinda dumbfounded once again. How can this be and thank you in advance for educating a newbie.
Hifi Rose 150b streamer feeding Gustard U18 DDC via USB, Gustard U18 Feeding the Gustard R26 DAC via i2s, R26 feeding the Oppo HA-1 Class A discrete headphone amp / preamplifier via xlr analog in, HA-1 feeding Active speakers via XLR out.