PRE-AMP is really useful？

[jayapple]

Is pre-AMP still useful in the digital age?

 

[sam_adams]

Yes. Please, get the lights on your way out.

 

[DVDdoug]

Sure... Depending on what other equipment you have or what you need. An integrated amp combines a preamp and power amp. A receiver adds a tuner. An AVR includes digital inputs and decoding for the various surround formats.

Preamps have become an expensive specialty item. Receivers generally cost less, and of course the do more.

A "stereo preamp" has always mostly been a "control center" but in the analog days it had a phono preamp. For recording with a microphone you need a mic preamp (usually built-into an audio interface or soundcard). Audio mixers also have mic-preamps built-in.

 

[Schollaudio]

Sure is, but it's evolving with steaming, DSP and built in DACs. As well as built in subwoofer control.

 

[fpitas]

If you need one it's very useful. If you don't, it's not.

/Next question

 

[mhardy6647]

I mean, mine comes in quite handy.
It even has a spare power amp built in, in case I need it for something.

 

[fpitas]

I mean, mine comes in quite handy.
It even has a spare power amp built in, in case I need it for something.

I almost wish I needed one. When I was a kid I admired all the cool connections and knobs etc. But when it came time to build a system all I needed was an XLR switch box

 

[mhardy6647]

I almost wish I needed one. When I was a kid I admired all the cool connections and knobs etc. But when it came time to build a system all I needed was an XLR switch box

I used to be passive on the (analog) front end, but the amp I use needs a bit more drive, and I found that ol' Yamaha at the dump -- win-win.

 

[JohnnyNG]

Yes. It's not an exclusively digital age.

 

[TonyJZX]

depends how much you want to switch

like ask yourself if a schitt freya is actually that useful to the avg. person

or maybe save your money and buy a nice integrated

 

[Willem]

If you have completely moved to digital souyrces, a DAC with volume control is a modern day preamp. I use an RME ADI-2 DAC for that, and it also has many of the traditional virtues of a preamp like balance and tone control, fliters, plus a lot extra.
Traditional preamps served to switch between sources of very different output voltage, so they had to include some source specific amplification. Not so with digital sources. They only need digital to analogue conversion. So inserting a traditional preamp between a properly gain matched good DAC and a power amp is a complete waste of money, and can only degrade the sound

 

[Davide]

Is pre-AMP still useful in the digital age?

DACs with volume control and high dynamic range are perfectly paired with power amplifiers.
With some you also have built-in tone controls, and digital inputs to match a steamer.
However, if you need a box that also acts as a switch between multiple inputs and maybe you even have a turntable then a preamp could be useful, as long as it is not an audiophile jewel worth thousands of dollars.

 

[Willem]

For automatic switching of digital inputs there is this: https://www.tindie.com/products/beni_skate/automatic-spdif-opticalrca-audio-switch/ It works a treat, and RME measured it and concluded that it is excellent.

 

[F1308]

Is pre-AMP still useful in the digital age?

Not at all.

I discovered it by accident.

It was useful at first to switch sources.

Not anymore.

Even the cheapest power amplifiers, see Topping PA-5, has a switch to select input 1- input 2 AND COMES WITH INPUT GAIN.

 

[mhardy6647]

Not at all.

I discovered it by accident.

It was useful at first to switch sources.

Not anymore.

Even the cheapest power amplifiers, see Topping PA-5, has a switch to select input 1- input 2.

As long as they have a volume control -- and you trust it.

 

[levimax]

Is pre-AMP still useful in the digital age?

Absolutely, take a look at the RME ADI- 2/4 Pro. They call it a "converter" and others may call it a DAC but it is actually a fully featured pre-amp reimagined for the digital age yet also works with turntables.

 

[radix]

There’s also active speakers that have it all including multiple inputs sub out and volume with remote and streaming.