[trippinonprozac]

Hey guys,
 
Just wondering if it is possible to use my NFB-10se as a pre amp to a rotel power amp and drive a set of B&W CM5's?
 
I love the 10se as a headphone amp but instead of going and buying another pre amp I figure I could utilise the one in the 10se! I would still want to use the DAC in the unit and then pass out via RCA interconnects to the Rotel power amp.
 
Can someone could tell me if this would be possible?

 

[Questhate]

Yes. Just press the DAC/HP button to switch between headphone out and pre-amp out. 

 

[trippinonprozac]

Awesome!
 
Thanks a lot for your reply.
 
Next question I guess is has anyone used this unit as a pre-amp out to some decent speakers/power amp?

 

[Questhate]

Yep. I use mine strictly as a DAC feeding some powered speakers through XLR-out and an Eddie Current Super 7 through RCA-out these days.

 

[trippinonprozac]

How does the pre amp stage perform?

 

[Questhate]

It sounds fine for now, but I honestly don't have much experience with other DACs. Truthfully, I'm eyeing a DAC upgrade in the near future. 
 
Functionally it's fine. One thing I would do is open it up and switch to fixed line-level output. They come stock as variable line output, so you'd have to crank the volume to max. You'd run the risk of blowing out your headphones if you don't lower the volume before switching back to the headphone output.  

 

[Lurkumaural]

Quote:

It sounds fine for now, but I honestly don't have much experience with other DACs. Truthfully, I'm eyeing a DAC upgrade in the near future. 
 
Functionally it's fine. One thing I would do is open it up and switch to fixed line-level output. They come stock as variable line output, so you'd have to crank the volume to max. You'd run the risk of blowing out your headphones if you don't lower the volume before switching back to the headphone output.  

Sounds scary.  The NFB doesn't store different volume values for two different output modes?  My car stereo does it, and it's a market-floor POS.

 

[trippinonprozac]

I would be running to a power amp though so wouldn't I need variable a I would have no way of controlling the volume?

And yes the 10 se does remember volume settings on the headphone amp so I would assume it would do the same when used as a pre amp.

 

[Questhate]

Well if you need the volume control, by all means leave it at variable.
 
@Lurk -- I don't remember if it does, but I could've sworn whenever I switched outputs it kept the volume level the same. 

 

[elwappo99]

Quote:

Well if you need the volume control, by all means leave it at variable.
 
@Lurk -- I don't remember if it does, but I could've sworn whenever I switched outputs it kept the volume level the same. 

 
Yes it does. Switching the gain from low to high resets to volume to 1, so I just toggle that button and back to the beginning. I use this as a preamp to my swans M200. sounds great!

 

[Questhate]

Quote:

 
Yes it does. Switching the gain from low to high resets to volume to 1, so I just toggle that button and back to the beginning. I use this as a preamp to my swans M200. sounds great!

 
Interesting! 
 
Can I ask when you bought your unit? My unit definitely does not reset the volume when switching gains, which was one of my complaints because I originally got the -7dB option for low-gain. Glad to see they installed this safety feature for reh-tards like myself. 

 

[Lurkumaural]

Mine also does NOT reset when I change the gain setting, and mine is (probably) second batch i.e. older, FWIW.

 

[elwappo99]

I purchased mine just after the release. Maybe end of November? Strange it's not uniform. I do have the high gain option, so maybe that's part of it? 

 

[Lurkumaural]

I purchased mine just after the release. Maybe end of November? Strange it's not uniform. I do have the high gain option, so maybe that's part of it? 

Mine was built in September IINM. Do you mean the -7dB on low gain? Quest, you had that too, right?

 

[Questhate]

Yep, I got mine beginning of November. I mentioned to Kingwa right after I got it that the volume setting should reset when changing gains, especially with people opting for the lowered gain option.

I ordered with the -7db, but changed it to normal shortly after.