Should I use a pre-amp (tube or solid state), or run the Chord DAC straight into a power amp?

Watts's advice for the Chord DACs that have their own volume control was to leave the pre-amp out and connect the power amp directly Head-Fi, Jul 2014Head-Fi, May 2018. In 2014 he wrote, "Don't use a pre-amp, unless you want it to sound worse!" Head-Fi, Jun 2014, and in 2023, "The best sounding (that is the most transparent) pre-amp is no pre-amp at all" Head-Fi, Aug 2023. The exception is Qutest, which has no volume control; see below.

His reasons

In 2014 he said active pre-amps add unneeded components, distortion, noise and noise floor modulation, that passive volume controls also degrade the sound, and that Hugo's digital volume control should be used instead Head-Fi, Jun 2014. In 2022 he said "There is no way that an analogue volume control will out-perform the volume control in the Chord DACs from a depth and detail resolution POV" Head-Fi, Feb 2022.

What he said about people who prefer a pre-amp

In 2018 he said pre-amps add softness and bloom to the bass because of coupling capacitors, "which some prefer. I don't" Head-Fi, May 2018. In the Hugo 2 thread that year he called adding that softness and second harmonic distortion "very much not a step forward" Head-Fi, Apr 2018. In 2019 he said some people like the softer sound a pre-amp adds, and that anyone using vinyl must have one Head-Fi, Jan 2019.

His only mention of tube pre-amps found is from 2016: tapping Dave's board gave tiny clicks, and "if this was a valve or tube DAC or pre-amp the clicks would have been extremely audible" Head-Fi, Sep 2016. In a 2020 podcast he said that with valves "things sound naturally warmer and smoother" Part-Time Audiophile 17:40 (check the recording). In 2025 he wrote that "It's easier to get great sound from valves" while bipolar "can sound even better" Head-Fi, Jan 2025.

By product

Hugo (2014 to 2016). "To really enjoy Hugo, you need to remove the pre-amp and feed it directly into the power-amp" Head-Fi, Jul 2014. In 2014 he said that even with a high-gain power amp, direct is still better than a pre-amp Head-Fi, Sep 2014. In January 2016 he told an owner to try both Hugo (feeding the power amp directly, which he said would give "an even bigger improvement") and 2Qute, and to go for 2Qute only if trying was not an option and the owner could not bear to give up the pre-amp Head-Fi, Jan 2016.

Dave (2015 to 2023). "Even the best pre-amp in the World would degrade transparency" Head-Fi, May 2015. In 2017 he said he had heard Dave drive valve power amps directly about half a dozen times and it sounded superb, added YMWV, and suggested the 33 ohm balanced outputs if a power amp proved unstable Head-Fi, Feb 2017.

Hugo 2 (2018 to 2020). "Always use Hugo 2's volume control", because a passive control adds noise and distortion (2020) Head-Fi, Mar 2020.

Hugo TT2 (2018 to 2022). He said TT2's amp mode can replace a pre-amp, "working as a digital pre-amp", set to low gain (May 2018, date estimated) Head-Fi, May 2018. In 2020 he said DAC mode is 2.5V and "3v can be a little too hot for a lot of pre-amps" Head-Fi, Feb 2020, and that an external amp fed from DAC mode often sounds warmer due to distortions Head-Fi, Jul 2020. In 2021 he described TT2 as a "digital-input only pre-amp" Head-Fi, Apr 2021 and said he does not use DAC mode himself Head-Fi, Jan 2021. In 2022 he said that if its 7W is enough, TT2 gives more transparency than Dave plus a power amp Head-Fi, Feb 2022.

Qutest (2018 to 2022). Qutest is "just a fixed level DAC", not a DX pre-amp Head-Fi, Jan 2018. He said it "is intended to work with an analogue pre-amp or integrated amp, as it's a fixed volume DAC" (2022) Head-Fi, May 2022. Its 1V, 2V and 3V settings are digital adjustments, and the best one depends on the connected amp Head-Fi, Jul 2018. A pre-amp with the volume control first suits 3V; one with an active stage before the volume may need less, and he suggested listening to decide Head-Fi, Apr 2018. In 2020 he said you would be better off using Roon for volume than a pre-amp or passive control Head-Fi, Mar 2020.

Mojo 2 (2022 to 2024). In 2022 he said that with a lot of pre-amps or integrated amps 3V will be too hot, "with blue being more appropriate" Head-Fi, Jul 2022. In 2024 he said Mojo 2's line-level feature was dropped: it would have needed to be adjustable, as 3V was too high for some pre-amps Head-Fi, Jan 2024.

Dropping the power amp too. In 2024 he repeated "The best sounding pre-amp is no pre-amp; the best sounding power amp is no power amp", adding that the second part presupposes the DAC can deliver the required power without its sound changing, which he said TT2 does Head-Fi, Oct 2024.

What he has not said: this archive contains no recommendation of any named pre-amp, tube or solid state, no test of a tube pre-amp with a Chord DAC, and no pre-amp advice for the original Mojo. His other valve comments concern power amps and general character Head-Fi, Feb 2017Head-Fi, Jan 2025.

Quotes

“Don't use a pre-amp, unless you want it to sound worse!”2014-06-21 Head-Fi, Jun 2014

“With the digital volume control, you simply do not need a pre-amp”2018-05-18 Head-Fi, May 2018

“Yes some people like the softer sound a pre-amp adds.”2019-01-31 Head-Fi, Jan 2019

“you would be better off using Roon to do the volume control than using a pre-amp or a passive volume control”2020-03-09 Head-Fi, Mar 2020

Dated positions

Caveats and open points

• Dates for some TT2-thread posts are estimated from post IDs in the archive (Head-Fi, May 2018, Head-Fi, Jan 2019, Head-Fi, Feb 2020, Head-Fi, Jul 2020, Head-Fi, Jan 2021, Head-Fi, Apr 2021).
• No item found recommends or tests a tube pre-amp or names any pre-amp model; the one tube pre-amp mention (Head-Fi, Sep 2016) concerns microphonics.
• Forum posts are to individual owners with their own setups; Watts often added YMWV.

Topics: Pre-amps, power amps and amplifier choice, Volume, gain and output level, Transparency, musicality and design goals