Skunk Wrote: > On my class A/B amp, I'm conservative with the volume control because I > want to milk as much class A out of my cheap tube amp as I can. > > Should I be shopping for DAC's with volume control if I want pure > output AND class A amplification? > > Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
A Class A/B amplifier will run Class A at low output powers but as the signal level increases, it slides into Class A/B which changes which portion the audio signal each output tube is handling. In Class AB, the average current through the tube is lower which results in lower power consumption and heat and longer tube life. So where you amp operates depends more on the actual signal level than the way you control it. What's attractive is to run the SB3 audio output directly into a power amp input and use the SB3 to control volume. If you want to use an external DAC, you can run it through a passive volume control into the tube amp. Tube amplifiers normally have higher input impedances so that the loading effects on a passive volume control are less important. -- DitherMan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DitherMan's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3189 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19697 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
