Post by Boomzilla on Jul 23, 2017 12:07:46 GMT -5
Hi alucard -
You're absolutely right. Most any competent preamplifier design (including all of the Emotiva models) has sufficiently robust output amps to easily drive the 27K-ohm input impedance of the A-300. But if one is NOT using a preamplifier, then many of the DACs and disc players on the market (that have variable volume analog outputs) don't have the guts to drive that 27K-ohm input without (audible) distress.
It's like saying that your iPod Nano should drive your Sennheiser 600 headphones. Yeah, it'll do it, but it won't do it well. Same thing with my Oppo UDP-205 and the A-300 power amp. I could put a preamp between the two and problem solved, but I'd prefer that they play nicely together without a preamp, and they don't.
This isn't Emotiva's fault nor Oppo's - it's just a coincidental component mismatch. The Oppo was (apparently) designed to play into the 47K-ohm impedance of a preamplifier line-level input and not into the 27K-ohm impedance of the power amp.
Now all that said, I'll admit that this is speculation on my part. I do recall playing the Oppo's analog outputs into the 47K ohm input of the Emotiva PT-100 preamp, and although the Oppo sounded somewhat better, it still didn't sound as good as using the DAC in the PT-100 directly. Does the PT-100 just have an exceptionally good-sounding DAC? Is my Oppo defective? Not really sure yet. But it is very surprising to me that the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red (that uses a Sabre DAC) and the Oppo UDP-205 (that also uses a Sabre DAC) sound so different. The little $200 Dragonfly leaves the Oppo in the dust.
But enough speculation - Don't look down on the A-300 for its input impedance. It's an awesome little amp and the input impedance is typical of modern power amps. The XMC-1 and the BasX power amps should do the tango together with style and ease!
Boomzilla
You're absolutely right. Most any competent preamplifier design (including all of the Emotiva models) has sufficiently robust output amps to easily drive the 27K-ohm input impedance of the A-300. But if one is NOT using a preamplifier, then many of the DACs and disc players on the market (that have variable volume analog outputs) don't have the guts to drive that 27K-ohm input without (audible) distress.
It's like saying that your iPod Nano should drive your Sennheiser 600 headphones. Yeah, it'll do it, but it won't do it well. Same thing with my Oppo UDP-205 and the A-300 power amp. I could put a preamp between the two and problem solved, but I'd prefer that they play nicely together without a preamp, and they don't.
This isn't Emotiva's fault nor Oppo's - it's just a coincidental component mismatch. The Oppo was (apparently) designed to play into the 47K-ohm impedance of a preamplifier line-level input and not into the 27K-ohm impedance of the power amp.
Now all that said, I'll admit that this is speculation on my part. I do recall playing the Oppo's analog outputs into the 47K ohm input of the Emotiva PT-100 preamp, and although the Oppo sounded somewhat better, it still didn't sound as good as using the DAC in the PT-100 directly. Does the PT-100 just have an exceptionally good-sounding DAC? Is my Oppo defective? Not really sure yet. But it is very surprising to me that the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red (that uses a Sabre DAC) and the Oppo UDP-205 (that also uses a Sabre DAC) sound so different. The little $200 Dragonfly leaves the Oppo in the dust.
But enough speculation - Don't look down on the A-300 for its input impedance. It's an awesome little amp and the input impedance is typical of modern power amps. The XMC-1 and the BasX power amps should do the tango together with style and ease!
Boomzilla