I love my SMSL M400 drivning my Nord Purifi power amp. To make the m499 unfold MQA natively it seems I have to use it’s built-in volyme control which I’m told happens in the digital domain which results in inevitable loss of headroom. Should I add a preamp? Which one (the SP 400 seems to match the chassis design). Grateful for guidance.
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Should I add a pre amp to my SMSL m400?
- Thread starter Mandy
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alitomr1979
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- Aug 15, 2021
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The Topping Pre90 measures extremely well and my subjective impressions are it is amazing. Somehow it adds clarity to the sound. I really don’t know how to describe it but it definitely improved everything. Even vocals were at the beginning strange because somehow they were more dispersed than when using the integrated preamp of the M400. After extensive listening what I’ve noticed is that vocals seem be more upfront now, like closer to the listener.
Only caveat I can tell is that the remote control is truly dismal. It was an afterthought, and I cannot understand how such a great sounding equipment, not cheap, they didn’t include something even mediocre, because it is worse than that. Basic problem is you need to point directly to the unit. You get used to it, but with today’s tech and remotes, it is very annoying at the beginning. To the point I considered sending it back just because of this. Only reason I kept it was because when I went back to using both my home theater and the M400 without it, I didn’t like them.
An alternative I haven’t tried is the Schiit Saga and Freya. The Saga doesn’t have balanced inputs, which you might or might not need. That one is also cheaper, and supposedly more transparent.
Hope this helps.
Only caveat I can tell is that the remote control is truly dismal. It was an afterthought, and I cannot understand how such a great sounding equipment, not cheap, they didn’t include something even mediocre, because it is worse than that. Basic problem is you need to point directly to the unit. You get used to it, but with today’s tech and remotes, it is very annoying at the beginning. To the point I considered sending it back just because of this. Only reason I kept it was because when I went back to using both my home theater and the M400 without it, I didn’t like them.
An alternative I haven’t tried is the Schiit Saga and Freya. The Saga doesn’t have balanced inputs, which you might or might not need. That one is also cheaper, and supposedly more transparent.
Hope this helps.
- Thread Starter
- #3
I actually pulled the trigger on the SP400 and just hooked it up. Being able to run the M400 in fixed volume mode seems to add something, Perhaps the "lost headroom" that digital attenuation is supposed to cause. I did have to add a splitter to run inputs to my Velodyne sub. The DAC has both XLR and RCA outs so this was a new issue. I'm pleased. My Beyerdynamic T5 cans love the THX-888 amps.
alitomr1979
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2021
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- 72
Great! Just so you know, the Topping Pre90 potentially solves the issue of splitting the signal because it has two outputs, one XLR and one RCA. Potentially because you need to have an amplifier with XLR inputs.
Glad to know your new addition to your setup improved your enjoyment.
Have fun.
Glad to know your new addition to your setup improved your enjoyment.
Have fun.
