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I'm inclined to give you a recommendation, but I think your issue may be somewhat complex. Can you tell us what source, amp, and speakers you use? My concern is that you actually have plenty of voltage gain now, but your TVC isn't playing as (electrically) nice in your setup as you think. TVCs and AVCs are relatively simple devices, but have somewhat complex tradeoffs that aren't well explained and so they aren't well understood. In other words, they're not as "universal" as they may seem. So, I don't want to make a recommendation, only for you to later find that my recommendation gave you extra gain that wasn't necessary to begin with.
I would look at Pass Labs XP preamps. https://www.passlabs.com/products/preamplifiers/xp-line-level-serieshttp://www.renohifi.com/PassInStock.htmI own Pass gear and use to own a Pass preamp till I decided to go for a tube preamp. The Pass preamps will give you what you are looking for.
Hi,I run a Music First TVC now - it's an amazing line stage, but it's 6 dB of gain is not enough for my system with DSD material.Can anyone recommend a line stage with at least 15 dB of gain that does NOT sound "solid-state" - no grain, no etched treble, etc.?Price up to $10K or so is fine.Thanks.P.S. I also have a Tom Evans Vibe which is at least as good as the TVC but is also low gain, about 8 dB.
It just may be your amplifier is not suited for TVC use. Meaning a low input sensitivity is required. The lower the better. Look at the amp specs and then yo can determine the plan. If you are a Digital based system IMHO a tubed preamp would be a VG suggestion if the TVC and Amp have synergy issues. I would Recco: CAT, Response Audio, Qualiton for tubed and Pass, Parasound and Miracle Audio for SS.
Why would you think I'm incorrect that gain is insufficient? It's a pretty simple matter: If you can't get the desired volume level with the attenuator all the way open, you need more total gain.With the TVC in +6 dB gain mode (as opposed to unity gain), with DSD materially, especially, which is generally 6 dBU down, I don't have quite enough gain.
No. Sorry. It's not that simple. All passive linestages have variable impedance characteristics at their various levels. TVC's and AVC's are no different. Active preamps and buffered preamps remove this variable. It isn't just a matter of voltage gain. You could have electrical incompatibility with the volume all the way open vs when it is lower. This happens because when the volume is all the way open, the more the amp is "seeing" the source's output impedance...which may be less than ideal. This is not uncommon. TVC's and AVC's actually have better output impedance characteristics the more they attenuate, ie when the volume control is lower.
That's true, but you're less likely to have impedance matching issues, in general.I bring up impedance, because I don't want to assume that you only have a voltage gain issue.Why are you arguing, when I just want to understand the whole picture? There are some pretty smart people on this forum (I don't include myself in that bunch), that I've learned a lot from. Is that not a goal of a forum...for people to share and learn?
I think you're the one who's arguing. I stated a simple fact, that my system could use more voltage gain, and you both doubted that and changed the subject.But this is really why I don't bother with forums anymore.
There's a difference between doubting and thinking critically. You want blind recommendations, if you don't provide all necessary information. If you were to go to an audio store and ask for preamp recommendations, any smart salesman would ask you what your system consists of. As you don't care for critical thought, I'm done here. Good luck.
