[GerGa]

Hey guys, I am looking at getting Emotiva airmotiv 5's and already have an SVS PB12NSD subwoofer.  I guess a preamp is what I need to control volume of the whole system.  
So it will be preamp rca ----> Sub's crossover -----> rca out from sub to Emotiva's
I will connect my preamp to the computer via USB or SPDIF, I don't already have a DAC
 
I have seen the Cambridge audio DacMagic Plus, and hear Schiit audio has some nice DAC's, but do they have any Preamps?
What other options do I have?
 
 
THanks!

 

[buson160man]

Quote:

Hey guys, I am looking at getting Emotiva airmotiv 5's and already have an SVS PB12NSD subwoofer.  I guess a preamp is what I need to control volume of the whole system.  
So it will be preamp rca ----> Sub's crossover -----> rca out from sub to Emotiva's
I will connect my preamp to the computer via USB or SPDIF, I don't already have a DAC
 
I have seen the Cambridge audio DacMagic Plus, and hear Schiit audio has some nice DAC's, but do they have any Preamps?
What other options do I have?
 
 
THanks!

 You might want to check out emotivas website and look for a preamp and or preamp dac.I believe they have both available and for their customarily reasonable price.I myself have very recently bought a used audio research ls2 preamp to use with my airmotiv 6s.This preamp sounds just amazing.This preamp was made at least 18 years ago but you would not think it was if you heard it.The age might turn you off but judging from the condition of this preamp and its sound I was not deterred from purchasing it.The fact that the unit is this old and sounds like it does is I believe is a testament to its long term reliability.I was using my peachtree decco 2 as a preamp but there just was not enough gain to reach satisfying volume levels for me.I tried a couple of used relatively high end preamps and the audio research was clearly the winner .The preamp ws built long before computer audio was on the map annd there is no onboard dac.But this preamp was built to a specific purpose at the time of its release and that was the best sounding linestage that audio research had produced at that time but built to a more affordable price with a minimum of frills.But it is a true balanced design with two sets of balanced outputs and a single set of rca outputs.I have less than 50 hours on the speakers so I am sure they have a ways to go before they are sufficiently fleshed in but thanks to the ls2 preamp I feel that I am really hearing the airmotiv 6s for the fisrt time.I think they have  enormous potential on their upside and very little if any shortcomings on their downside especially at the sale price I got mine at during the emotiva holiday sale.
  Check out emotivas website.I believe parasound has a preamp model in their budget line that has facilities for a subwoofer with high and or low end bandpass functionality.