New system - DAC & power amp or DAC & Integrated

[admin_exported]

I'm after a new system for my living room and it's going to be based around some Rega RS3's and music via my MacBook Pro/iTunes and Apple TV2 streamed via AirPlay etc...

I wanted to know that if I bought a power amp such as the Cyrus XPower; could that be controlled by an Audiolab MDAC (i.e. volume etc...) or would it make more sense to go for the like of a Rega Brio-R or Cyrus 8VS2/8XP as well as a DAC and feed the music to that via the ATV2 optical etc...?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

No one any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations?!

 

[gregvet]

I wanted to know that if I bought a power amp such as the Cyrus XPower; could that be controlled by an Audiolab MDAC (i.e. volume etc...) or would it make more sense to go for the like of a Rega Brio-R or Cyrus 8VS2/8XP as well as a DAC and feed the music to that via the ATV2 optical etc...?

Thanks

Yes the X power can be used with the Mdac, as it has built in digital volume control. I dont know how it sounds tho.

In my experience it often sounds better to get a proper amp/pre amp than using digital volume contorls, but YMMV. I would advise demoing a few options and see what you think.

 

[Rich27]

In my experience dac/pre into a Primare A34.2 makes a wonderful combination, if you only have digital sources you really don't need a dedicated pre amp.