DAC to Power Amp or an Integrated one?

[admin_exported]

hello to all hifi gurus..,

i recently purchased an Adiolab MDAC and very satisfied with its performance, now when I'm on the look out for a good amplifier i'm confused over my choices.

My question to all the experts out here is whether I should go for a power amp or an integrated amp. I had seen Leema Tucana and liked it very much. The dealer tells me that I can connect a power amp to my MDAC and get good results.

can you give me some advice on which one to go?

thanks a ton!

Magz

 

[Fisherking 145]

It may depend on which sources you intend to use. The MDAC is only a digital pre amp I think, which means if you go for a power amp you will only be able to use digital sources going through your MDAC. For instance, a CD player, a Squeezebox, Sonos, a PC, you won't be able to use a turntable, a tuner, or a tape deck.

Getting an integrated would give you a bit of future flexibility. As the MDAC is so compact, it will be easy for you to take it round some dealers and audition some different amps, power and integrated, and see which you prefer. There really is nothing better than auditioning.

I know on another forum, a guy has an MDAC plugged into the same amp as I have (in power amp mode), and really likes it, but he's thinking of getting a better power amp. If you go down the power amp route you should get more for your money, as you wouldn't be paying for the pre amp section. However, it really is up to you.

Go out and have a listen!

 

[sortof]

Be aware that with some high-gain power amps connected directly to the M-DAC you may need to add an attenuator because too much attenuation in the digital domain of the M-DAC would be detrimental to sound quality. Read through the lengthy M-DAC threads over at the pinkfishmedia.net audio forum for more information and possible solutions. Anyhow, John Westlake, the designer behind the M-DAC, generally prefers going from the M-DAC into a power amp over alternatives involving preamps as it would be the case when using an integrated.

 

[Overdose]

For the sake of your speakers (and ears), I'd get a preamp section, or integrated amp, because the M-DAC will be fixed output, therefore presenting the possibility of a maximum gain situation when you first turn your system on. You really don't want that to happen if your Pc has somehow defaulted to max volume on a reboot for example. :O

You could rely entirely on digital attenuation of the signal, but that would not be my advice.

 

[Fisherking 145]

The MDAC doesn't have a fixed output, it is a digital pre amp, with variable output.

 

[busb]

For the sake of your speakers (and ears), I'd get a preamp section, or integrated amp, because the M-DAC will be fixed output, therefore presenting the possibility of a maximum gain situation when you first turn your system on. You really don't want that to happen if your Pc has somehow defaulted to max volume on a reboot for example. :O

You could rely entirely on digital attenuation of the signal, but that would not be my advice.

Sorry Overdose, this is not correct. The M-DAC can be either fixed output (0dB) or variable (-80 to 3dB in 1dB steps) with a digital volume control. The default is variable.

Whether or not to run the M-DAC straight into a power amp depends on not having any analogue inputs. I've run my M-DAC via XLR leads straight into a borrowed Primare power amp & currently straight into the power amp section of my Restek Challenger via a phono cable. Both work very well & allow me to by-pass all the preamp switching & gain stages. I'd say that running the M-DAC into a power amp is the best way if you can. Don't worry about fixed attenuators - just make sure whatever power amp used has fairly standard input sensitivity as most do.

 

[Overdose]

My apologies if I have got things wrong.

I just couldn't see any reference to variable output/voulume control here....

http://www.audiolab.co.uk/M-DAC%20Series.aspx?lang=En

...but then I looked at the 'features' section.

Please ignore the erroneous statement.

 

[shafesk]

hello to all hifi gurus..,

i recently purchased an Adiolab MDAC and very satisfied with its performance, now when I'm on the look out for a good amplifier i'm confused over my choices.

My question to all the experts out here is whether I should go for a power amp or an integrated amp. I had seen Leema Tucana and liked it very much. The dealer tells me that I can connect a power amp to my MDAC and get good results.

can you give me some advice on which one to go?

thanks a ton!

Magz

Hi Magz, to be honest I think you'll have to audition this one out, try a power amp with the dac and then try an integrated with the dac. On one hand the shortest signal argument seems to support the dac-power amp route, but I don't know how good the volume control really is and also how much gain it can provide to your power amp so an integrated can often sound better. You could just buy a matching power amp and later save up to buy a preamp if you so wish though....I think that if you are spending your entire budget on a power amp than an integrated you are bound to get a better power section and that way you can also upgrade your system by adding a preamp when and if you have the budget in the future.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much for all your valuable inputs. Now I have a much better idea on how to go ahead.

Any comments on how good the MDAC as a pre-amp? Or should I go for a higher end DAC like a Leema Elements or NAD M51?

Thanks again for all your help.

Cheerios

 

[baz]

Hello Magz,

I have the 8200CDQ, which, apart from the obvious CD player and analogue inputs, is pretty much the same as the Mdac in terms of it's pre-amp functionality, DAC section and headphone amp etc. as far as I'm aware.

I have mine hooked up to a Tact SDA2175 semi-digital power amp and it sounds fabulous, so from my experience I would recommend going for a power amp, especially as the pre-amp section is already taken care of so well. I had it hooked up to my old Audiolab 8000P when I first bought it and it didn't exactly sound bad, but got the Tact a couple of weeks later, which transformed things.

I would audition a few with the Mdac if you can, I've heard the Bryston 4B SST sounds pretty good with the Mdac, but not exactly cheap ! Also the Quad 909 has good reports.