Power Amp and Volume Control Combo

Autor

Beitrag

Manek
Inventar

#1 erstellt: 10. Nov 2003, 09:41

Hi All,

I just heard a phenomenal Setup on the weekend at an AV show.

Cadence Electrostat Speakers, Cadence Volume Control/Source selector, Cadence triode monoblocks connected with VDH cables. they sounded phenomenal.

What amazed me was that there was no dedicated Pre-amp, just a small box with a source selector and a Volume Control(audiophile grade)made by cadence connected into the monoblocks. I asked the manufacturers why were they not using a good pre-amp stage and they said it was not required.

I took that small volume box and plugged it into an Onkyo 504 Integra power amp in the next room without a dedicated pre-amp and boy it sounded great. I then connected a jeff rowland consumate pre-amp to the power amp and lo and behold, the volume control box sounded more detailed and clear, bass was tighter...mids were smoother, highs were well in control...just beautiful.

I could not believe it so I asked the manufacturer to open the box and to my amazement all I saw was a source selector and a volume control wired together.

This has just turned the whole concept of having a preamp on its head !!!!

I am sincerely thinking of selling my integrated and purchasing this small wonderbox and a good power amp.

What do you all think of this concept ????

Manek
Inventar

#2 erstellt: 10. Nov 2003, 15:33

just found out ....these small boxes are called passive preamps...i wonder why as they dont amplify anything...

sledgehammer
Stammgast

#3 erstellt: 10. Nov 2003, 19:52

i wanted to visit a cadence dealer for these bookshelf speakers and now i got another reason. but i dont think this small thing will play better than my preamp. they may be called passive preamps because they -as you said- dont amplify a thing and they dont need any power - thats my guess

Manek
Inventar

#4 erstellt: 11. Nov 2003, 07:25

where are you based sledge ? I could try and get you details on a cadence dealer near you....the cadence distributor for the US is OS services.

Manek
Inventar

#5 erstellt: 11. Nov 2003, 07:33

sledge...I was speaking to a few audiophiles on the passive setups and they all said that an normal preamp mostly has electronics to filter out the noise its own transformer and other components creates and if your Cd player has an output od 2 volts and the power amp has the input sensitivity of 1 volt and input impedence of 10Kohms or more then a preamp is just not required....and a passive does the job better as there is just no colouration of sound....and I saw a living example of that..sledge...it was just awsome...BTW Van Den Hul makes excellent passives...

The trick is to make sure your CDplayer and your power amp meet the specs.