Removing Unused Preamp Connections
If your preamp has most (or all) of its inputs used when your CDP, T/T, tuner, phono stage, etc, is plugged into it, have you ever tried disconnecting everything other than what's necessary for playing music at the time?
So if you're listening to, say, CD, disconnect the leads that are plugged into your other source inputs...
Doing so, in my experience, improves sound quality and gives a more natural, detailed, and 'focused' sound. Quite often, a lot of the stuff that's plugged into your preamp isn't used regularly so why not maximise the performance of the components that are? The improvement is subtle but in my opinion definitely worthwhile.
Marco.
Getting rid of a Naim 552?
Thanks for your replies, and of course what you say about 'straight to power amp.' makes sense:- theoretically!
However, re. the Elma switch selector (and excuse my senile naivety here), is one supposed to solder each interconnect to the terminals (effectively doing the job of the pre., I guess)? Then connect the (monoblock) leads to the output side in parallel? OR construct interconnect input sockets which are themselves hard-wired to the Elma? Thus effectively building a simplified passive control-less pre.?
To me this is quite a radical if hairshirt approach, though I can see financial and sonic merit therein. Pity about buggering up so many (expensive) i/connects, though. Furthermore, how would one control volume, use mute and generally introduce other kit/experiment/ record out, etc? Surely this is where the pucka 'control centre' (a.k.a. Pre.) comes into its own?
I believe I have one of the most revealing preamps. around (reflected in its cost, no doubt) and whereas I concede to the 'simple is best' path, I cannot see a viable alternative to my oft-used, multi-sourced, 24/7 powered, hard-wired to the mains system.
If you disagree, I'd be interested to receive enlightenment.
