BassDigger
500+ Head-Fier
thanks for the reply - I just had one question that's off topic. I have a Matrix Mstage UPA-2 that I plan on using as a preamp out to Gustard H10. - (For the very reason people saying sepeeate preamp is good vs. not good, so I want to hear it for myself if a seperate preamp would actualy improve sound quality.) Anyway, it's a technical question - do I just connect mstage to h10 using rca OUT from mstage to rca IN on h10 and everything would work fine as they should correct? I'd be able dial volume only through mstage, and h10 would only work as a amp without volume control. No need to fiddle with any other hardware settings? thanks,
As Olek said, the volume will always be active on the H10. The reason for this is that it's not possible to bypass the pre-amp section (containing the volume control) of the H10; it has no 'pre-in' inputs, like a dedicated power amp would have. This is quite normal.
So, if you are using the volume control on your dac, as your main volume as if the dac is also the pre-amp, you'd normally set the volume control on the H10 at maximum, because it is acting as the power amp. But, of course, you should be very careful when doing this. It's a good habit to return volume controls to zero, whenever you're not listening, and especially when switching on, or switching anything.
Why some people have reported an improvement (with what's often described as double amping) is still a mystery.
One theory is that the pre-input section, of the H10, is a bit fussy and needs a good signal to work at its best. Perhaps to do with impedance matching. This is not so uncommon.
But in an ideal world, double amping, or putting the signal through twice as much circuitry to do the same job, is a compromise that is only going to degrade the signal. The better solution would be a quality stand-alone dac, with a good line-level (no volume control) output.
What I would suggest, if you are trying this experiment, is to try a variety of volume settings on the H10. I'd start at halfway, and then gradually turn it up, and your dac down. Be careful not to overdrive the inputs of the H10. This could happen if your dac output is too high, and the H10 volume setting too low. It'd sound like typical (too loud) distortion, even though the actual loudness may be quite low.