Connecting a sound card to an integrated amplifier

[Participant]

Hi all

I've got a NAD 3130 integrated amp, which also has the option of being used as either a pre-amp or a power amp. I'm currently connecting it to my Xonar DG by using a stereo jack from the sound card out to a twin rca to the amp's input.

However I have the option of connecting the sound card to the power amp's input therefore bypassing the pre-amp. The reason is to reduce the amount of circuitry that the signal has to go through before it reaches the speakers and bypass any old pre-amp circuitry that might be adversely affecting the speakers.

I'm aware that this means I'd have to control the volume through windows, but apart from this, are there any other pros and cons I haven't thought of?

Cheers.

 

[lucid]

TBH, the electrical environment inside the PC is far noisier for analogue signals than the preamp side of the integrated. Try it if you wish though. It's just a case of removing the pre to power links and connecting directly.

Beware that there will be a level difference. The PC will put out more voltage at its jack sockets than a typical CD player or line source, so take it steady with the volume. The preamp circuits won't be there to buffer the input and avoid overload going through to the power amp.

 

[Participant]

Cheers lucid. I just tried it and heard no difference, it just got very loud very quickly with the Windows volume slider. So to save one of us having a heart attack when someone's accidentally left the volume on high, I've gone back to running it through the pre-amp.