Simplest way to get a signal in..

Archguy

Official Roiurama Factory Rep
Into a power amp, that is. I'm going to using a McIntosh power amp for one of my (many) auxiliary Chromecast Audio zones so I have a digital optical (or analog RCA; you can use either) cable coming from the CCA device.

All I need to do is control the volume.

Now, in point of fact you can do that with CCA, but I'm very leery of doing that, because sometimes you get surprised by how you left your CCA zones the last time you used them, and who knows what else you might forget. I don't want to destroy an amp (or my ears) with a sudden transient.

What's the cleanest, simplest way to get the signal in? All of the preamps I see have so much more going on than I need. What about a MAC-3? I don't need the DAC part, CCA takes care of that. But is there anything I'm forgetting?

227600-mcintosh_mac3_pre_pro_dac_.jpg


Obviously it has more going on than I need, too, though I could play with the auxiliary zone perhaps. And I like the relatively clean look. Advice?
 
Hmm, or maybe a C712 for balance and tone controls. Slippery slope!!

649124939_large_0b4f870bdd3bfc12df2f517b7d6d4b85.jpg


Sorry to have contradicted myself. Can't make up my mind which zone I want to use it for yet.
With most zones, balance & tone aren't really an issue. But for one or two....
I never see these 710/712s for sale though. I really like the low profile.
 
Assuming you have enough gain from the CCA and if you don't need a remote, how about a passive pre or more simply, a volume pot in a box with RCA in and out? Or a Mc power amp with gain controls?
 
Schiit SYS or Emotiva control freak are the simplest I know of. A volume pot between two sets of rca jacks.
 
I don't think I'd do a passive pre with something like the CCA... you've got to get your input and output impedances, and drive levels, just right, and I doubt that little dongle will do it.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Very helpful. That Emotiva device is very cool.

Murray, I don't understand your objection. How does using a pre (or an integrated) necessarily make "input and output impedances, and drive levels, just right"? I may well end up using a preamp, but I'd like to understand why it would be required.
 
Back
Top Bottom