Traditional analog preamp vs digital

[Linus]

In this day and age, is there a good reason to use a traditional analog preamp versus a digital one (DAC with analog in)? I’m in the market for a preamp to control the volume of my powered speakers and I am getting a little confused about which way to go. As I have a turntable, a DAC with volume control won’t make it. Is there any good reason to still use an all analog preamp? For about the same budget, would you rather use a Schiit Freya S? The new miniDSP Flex? Secondhand Benchmark DAC 2 HGC (a bit more expensive)? Anything else?

Inputs; Technics SL-1200 & Mac Mini + Focusrite Solo (looking to upgrade)
Ouput; Genelec 8040

 

[dougi]

Well, I like to use some form of analog pre-amp in front of my digital system, not really for much more reason than being able to balance the volume levels between analog and digital sources. Mostly with my RME ADI-2 pro. What I do is analog pre into the ADI-2, adjust preamp volume for close to clipping but a bit of headroom, digital into my Lyngdorf digital pre to do room correction only, then digital back into the ADI-2 for final amp volume control. Digital inputs go into the Lyngdorf. It does have analog inputs and I do use them, but still prefer to adjust and monitor the post ADC levels closely.

 

[Thorsten Loesch]

In this day and age, is there a good reason to use a traditional analog preamp versus a digital one (DAC with analog in)? I’m in the market for a preamp to control the volume of my powered speakers and I am getting a little confused about which way to go.

Okay, let me make some comments. First, using a well designed purely analogue volume control CAN offer better dynamic range in the overall system than a purely digital solution. If badly designed it can also make things worse.

I would probably for a home studio recommend something like the Mackie Big Knob Passive (yes, they really call it "Big Knob", don't ask):

https://mackie.com/en/products/studio-monitoring/big-knob-series/big_knob_passive.html

In "Hai Enten Hai Fai" (you have to be german to get that) this is known as "passive preamplifier" (bit of an oxymoron that) and it is a simple and satisfying DIY project as well.

My recommendation would be to use the 47 Position ELMA Switch:

https://www.elma.com/en/Products/Ro...47-JUMBO-audio-switch--1-or-2-wafers-12822907

I think that 47 positions of 1dB steps give a very fine but reliably repeatable control over volume. An extra "DIM" switch with (say) a -24dB pad can be added to give lower playback levels if needed.

I would select the lowest impedance we can reasonably expect a source to drive, which nowadays seems to have shifted from 10kOhm to 2kOhm. So select a 2k impedance. Make sure resistors used are of the thin film type, thick film resistors have excess noise and distortion and are not really cheaper to buy than thin film in DIY quanteties.

If using balanced, using a 2k+2k attenuator with +20dBu (7.75V) Vin set to 6dB attenuation will give 1kOhm output impedance, which makes sure that even high capacitance cables cause no frequency response variation and have a self noise of -122dBu and a SNR of 136dB with +20dBu input and +14dBu output. This is certainly way below anything the Genelec Monitors can manage. Set the gain on the Monitor to minimum.

Thor

PS, this thread may also be of use, it just popped up in a search.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...eap-volume-control-for-active-speakers.15806/

 

[dorakeg]

In this day and age, is there a good reason to use a traditional analog preamp versus a digital one (DAC with analog in)?

Why not?? I have a krell Evo 202 preamp and I am still using it today. It's performance is still exceptionally good even when compared to modern devices.