I'm a little confused :( DAC as a Pre?

[CH46E]

I was looking for a pre amp to go with my new to me Parasound HCA-750.

I don't listen to records. (Analog) (not by choice, rather by budget)
Mostly CD's SACD's DVD-Audio's and streaming like Youtube, Pandora and so on. I do want to get into downloading FLAC and DSD music.

My question is if I'm only running digital source like a CD player and streaming can I use something like the Emotiva XDA2 G2 as a preamp for a 2.0 system? If I'm reading this right I would not need a separate pre amp right?

This is from their site. """"As a digital preamp, the XDA-2 G2’s high quality analog circuitry, and precision analog resistor ladder volume control, which maintains full resolution even at low volume settings, make it ideally suited for pairing directly with a high quality power amplifier. """"""

Nothing else would be needed? I've never ran a outboard DAC. I'm not sure but the one in my Denon DVD-2910 seems to be pretty decent. But now that I want to run FLAC and others I think its time to upgrade.

 

[Yamaki]

The Emotiva unit is a combo DAC/ digital pre-amp/headphone amp (Much like the McIntosh D100) and is a digital source only pre-amp.

You can use the XDA-3 G2 as a pre-amp for a 2 channel digital source only system with no problem and, No, you don't need a second pre-amp for the system to work.

 

[BMWCCA]

The Emotiva unit is a combo DAC/ digital pre-amp/headphone amp (Much like the McIntosh D100) and is a digital source only pre-amp.

You can use the XDA-3 G2 as a pre-amp for a 2 channel digital source only system with no problem and, No, you don't need a second pre-amp for the system to work.

I agree with what you wrote but did you mean XDA-2 Gen2?
I don't believe there's an XDA-3 yet, and I've contemplating painting the end caps on my XDA-2 ever since I got it, especially since Emotiva told me the allen-head screws aren't cosmetic but will actually un-screw to remove the caps for painting.

The volume control really is very good, an improvement over the original XDA-1, or so I'm told. I use mine as a digital control center and for remote volume control, though it runs through one of the AUX inputs in my analog pre-amp since I still run a tuner and a Nak Dragon in my system.

 

[Delurker]

I run balanced cables from my NAD M51 straight to my power amp at home, and until recently, from a Lavry DA11 (also with variable out) straight to the balanced inputs on a pair of Emotiva Airmotiv 5S in my office at work. Works great.

 

[CH46E]

Great info, thanks guys. Am I missing anything? The only un digital source I can think of is a record player and am/fm radio. Tapes? I don't use any of those. So is there any reason I should not just go with a dac like the one we are talking about?

 

[Guest105]

Great info, thanks guys. Am I missing anything? The only un digital source I can think of is a record player and am/fm radio. Tapes? I don't use any of those. So is there any reason I should not just go with a dac like the one we are talking about?

No good reason.

 

[Delurker]

Can't think of one.

 

[Porkloin]

Un-digital THIS!

Great info, thanks guys. Am I missing anything? The only un digital source I can think of is a record player and am/fm radio. Tapes? I don't use any of those. So is there any reason I should not just go with a dac like the one we are talking about?

Analog to digital converters can be had for $29 on up, but you can't let on you have one or the vinyl goons will break your legs.

 

[Raynald]

I bought the XDA-2 to replaced a Cambridge DacMagic and found that just using it and removing my previous pre amp resulted in greatly improved sound. Go for it.

 

[CKDC]

I suggest you take look at the Grant Fidelity TubeDAC-11.

It will give you a lot of options, for input, output and altering the sound by changing tubes.

I don't own one yet but hope to have the funds in the next few weeks.

 

[runnin']

Great info, thanks guys. Am I missing anything? The only un digital source I can think of is a record player and am/fm radio. Tapes? I don't use any of those. So is there any reason I should not just go with a dac like the one we are talking about?

There is more to it than that, and I found out the hard way. All conversion from digital to analog is most certainly NOT created equal, and it is this process that will have weaknesses if not done right.

I have an Oppo 95(cost $999) and a Marantz CC65SE, both are disk players. Both measure flat across the audio spectrum. Both convert the digital one's and zero's into analog, and they don't sound the same. The Oppo is brighter with more detail, the Marantz warmer. In my system they are both really good, but some people have bad results with the Oppos.

When I first decided to buy a preamp, Emotiva was proudly touting their forthcoming flagship preamp, in late 2009 or 2010. It never came, and instead they released the XDA-1, proudly proclaiming it to be a digital preamp with volume control that was lossless, and USB input of 24/192. I bought it thinking it would be fine for me.

It wasn't. The volume wasn't lossless, in fact it was screwed up giving near full volume at 16 out of 80 on the digital dial. I had to pay to ship it back to get it fixed so I could at least listen to it(At least they fixed it for free). But it always sounded overly bright to me, being somewhat painful at higher volumes. When Emotiva retired the XDA-1 and were selling the last units, they finally admitted the volume was not lossless, and blamed the prints that Analog Devices gave them. That was a weak move IMO. They also admitted that the USB could not render 24/192 input.

I learned the hard way that just because a company wants to sell you something and says all the right things, and people on their forum are giddy about it, you get what you pay for. I ended up selling all 3 Emotiva components I had bought. They are indeed not the great amazing company their ads say they are.

I don't know, maybe by now they've evolved their sound and circuitry somewhat, but there are better options out there.

 

[Raynald]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the 1 which was indeed a poor pre by design. I knew nothing about Emotiva besides what I had read until recently. I used to make a living selling high end audio and the 2 blows me away, I sold a DAC and pre worth far more to keep it in a very revealing system. Several friends have heard it and agree. FWIW.

 

[CH46E]

This is good. I like to get two opposing sides of a product! Thanks everyone for the responses. I like the idea of that Grant Fidelity Tube dac. I would liken to try some tube products.

 

[runnin']

Well that's the thing. Emotiva heaped praise on their XDA-1. It was the equal of super expensive gear, they would say. Same with their ERC-1 cd player. Same with anything they release, and it's only well after the fact that the facts some out.

They've introduced so much gear that's gone by the wayside. Amps, speakers, subs, cables, processors. If they are so willing to take our money while releasing 2 or 3 DACs until they learn how to do it right, I can't respect that.

They've been promising a turntable and also tube gear this year, both a first for them. I'm not going to pay them to learn how to make that stuff properly either. Other companies don't treat the customer like this.

Edit: I guess I should get off my soap box now, I just thought both sides should be heard.

 

[Guest105]

I'm sorry to hear about your Emotiva experiences. I've not owned any of it, so can't comment on it, other than to say that I generally wait until a new product is out into the marketplace before considering it. This way, you have the advantage of both user reviews and "professional" reviews. On a related note, these seem to be quite favorable in the case of the XDA-2.

I don't put a lot of stock into the subjective claims made by manufacturers.

 

[runnin']

Thanks, but you don't have to be sorry! It is what it is.