Today, while being fully satisfied with the direct to amp connection of my Cantata DAC (and being ever so curious), I inserted my Stereocoffee LDR passive pre-amp in the chain and the Cantata was re-set to full volume. The LDR is a very transparent pre-amp that just lets the signal through using optocouplers to control volume. I did not prefer it in my stereo setup as it lacked gain to drive the X150.5 amp to full potential but in my headphone setup where my initial problem with the XP10 pre-amp was too much gain especially with balanced connections, this seemed like a good match...
The LDR is an improvement over my Cantata directly driving the X150.5. Better transparency, more detail and overall a more realistic presentation. More on the plus side, I have again the luxury of having more input options to try out other DACS, and control of the volume with a knob! The Cantata had buttons and the remote, which was just not that convenient. I'm still amazed at how I was able to stumble upon this setup configuration for my 1266 TC's. Happy weekend!
The LDR is an improvement over my Cantata directly driving the X150.5. Better transparency, more detail and overall a more realistic presentation. More on the plus side, I have again the luxury of having more input options to try out other DACS, and control of the volume with a knob! The Cantata had buttons and the remote, which was just not that convenient. I'm still amazed at how I was able to stumble upon this setup configuration for my 1266 TC's. Happy weekend!
Last edited: