Pre-Amp or PowerAmp

[jabelanet]

Hello,
I plan to buy SB2 systems for my home, but still have questions I didn't found precisely the answer here.
-As the remote of the SB2 has a vol-/vol+ can I connect directly SB2 to a powerAmp or should I better use a PreAmp for adjusting the volume ?
-Is the Digital outputs are far better than the cinch ?

thanks for your time reading/answering me !
regards.
Jam

[pfarrell]

On Tue, 2005-05-10 at 16:54 -0700, jabelanet wrote:
> -As the remote of the SB2 has a vol-/vol+ can I connect directly SB2 to
> a powerAmp or should I better use a PreAmp for adjusting the volume ?

You do not need a preamp.
The SqueezeBox volumne control will do just fine.

> -Is the Digital outputs are far better than the cinch ?

The Digital outputs have no quality themselves.They
simply provide the digital stream. With the SB2,
folks say that the native analog is surprizingly good.

The easy suggestion is to buy one, use FLAC
for your tunes, and listen thru your stereo.
If you like it then you are done.

I think that you have to have several thousand dollars worth
of amps and speakers before you can fret about it.

--
Pat
http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimserver/slimsoftware.html

[jabelanet]

On Tue, 2005-05-10 at 16:54 -0700, jabelanet wrote:[color=blue]
> -As the remote of the SB2 has a vol-/vol+ can I connect directly SB2 to
> a powerAmp or should I better use a PreAmp for adjusting the volume ?
>You do not need a preamp.
>The SqueezeBox volumne control will do just fine.


thank you for quick answer, but wondering quality_wise, wouldn't it be better to use variable outputs of SB2 at max and adjust the volume on the preamp (imagining it is a good preamp of course)?
but i definatey have to test both solution anyway...
regards

[pfarrell]

On Tue, 2005-05-10 at 17:30 -0700, jabelanet wrote:
> thank you for quick answer, but wondering quality_wise, wouldn't it be
> better to use variable outputs of SB2 at max and adjust the volume on
> the preamp (imagining it is a good preamp of course)?

The SlimDevices engineers have posted over time that the best
quality is to run the SqueezeBox wide open.

You do have to be careful about gain staging, as you do
in any audio chain.

With my Benchmark DAC, I had to use its internal
level controls to lower the analog output
because it was overdriving my amp's input circuits.

With any digital volume control, you really should
be doing the processing at long word lengths and then
apply proper dithering to make the truncation not
cause a lot of artifacts. I would not expect a SB1
to do the dithering properly, hence I run it wide open.
You'd have to check about an SB2, but I doubt
that it does dithering, perhaps, it would be cool
if it did

--
Pat
http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimserver/slimsoftware.html

[Aylwin]

Jam,

The SB2 should work with whatever audio system you already have. Basically, you can just buy and plug it in without worrying about preamps, amps and so on.

However, if you wish to build a new audio system around (or with) the SB2 then perhaps you could give us an idea what you want to use the system for (hi-end? mid-range? just for the living room? or bedroom? or...?).

Personally, I see no point in buying a pre-amp if the SB2 is the only source connected to it. On the other hand, I don't quite like the idea of an SB2 directly connected to a power amp. For me, an integrated amp would be cheap and reasonable alternative. Unless you want to go hi-end...

Aylwin

[jabelanet]

Jam,
However, if you wish to build a new audio system around (or with) the SB2 then perhaps you could give us an idea what you want to use the system for (hi-end? mid-range? just for the living room? or bedroom? or...?).
Aylwin

thanks for your answer.
well, here's what I'd want :
- I already have an high end Linn system in the home theather room, but I'd like the living room and some bedrooms to be able to have sound too, i've looked at very expensive solution from Linn, and proprietary systems, but far too expensive for me, and even not as flexible as something like SB provide. So my system will look like that :
something very invisible for the other rooms.
a music server hidden somewhere, maybe an apple mini, can control other devices too, like video cams, big HD with apple lossless files.
in-ceilling / in-wall B&W speakers (CCM 80 in bedrooms & Signature 7NT in livingroom)
PowerAmps (or whatever, that's the point) hidden somewhere
some SB2 (unless they plan an evolution quickly) hidden too, best would be a custom in-wall mount.
no other source connected to the amp (that's the reason of my question).

- what do you guys think would be the best in term of budget & sound (i'd like to have something reasonnably powerfull in the living and just ambiance sound for the bedrooms) ?
- Does Slimdevice plan to build a brother of the SB2, in-wall installation and why not with some hardbuttons like vol+/-, arrow keys... (a question to SlimDevice fellows) ?
thanks for your support.
regards, Jam/.

[Aylwin]

Looks like you need more than one SB2. That's one thing I've learn about these little boxes: once you have one of them, you soon realise that you need another one... or two. :)

There are some very cool mods (including an in-wall installation) here: http://www.slimdevices.com/dev_plugins.html#mods

If you already have speakers, then I'd recommend an integrated amp or receiver. An A/V receiver might be a good choice if you want to control all the speakers from a single place with one SB2. You could then use an RF remote control unit so that the receiver can be located anywhere you want.