Currently, I use a Sugden Headmaster as pre-amp in my system. As I dream about how the system will evolve, I keep wondering what to do about the pre-amp. There are a few goals I'd like to acheive:
* I'd like to keep the Sugden around at the very least for headphone amp duties, but have no commitment to using it as a pre-amp;
* I'd like to incorporate both two-channel and HT into a single system, so need input switching; and
* A home-theater bypass arrangement would be desirable, so that I could control video sound from a AV receiver or a HT processor without having to worry about volume level for the pre-amp.
I tended to think that there were four main options for me, all with problems:
1) keep everything the way it is, and program the HT processor/AVR to adjust the main speakers' volume to accommodate the pre-amp being set to a specified volume level (12 o'clock for example) whenever the HT input is used (but this means I need to set the pre-amp volume at the right level every time I use HT);
2) keep the Sugden in its current role and have one of its inputs modified to bypass the volume control (HT bypass) (but I don't want to void the warranty. Even if I could convince the Sugden people to make the change for me, I would have to send the unit to the UK);
3) get a new preamp that had HT bypass and a tape out, and hook up the Sugden to a tape-out (most desirable option. But expensive, as the new component would have to sound as good as the Sugden).
4) use an AV receiver or HT processor as pre-amp for the two channel system as well as for the HT (also an expensive option, as a pre-pro would need to sound as good as the Sugden)
But then a fifth option struck me:
5) ensure that my digital source has a volume control, so that both the digital source and the HT processor have volume controls. Connect both of these to regular inputs on the Sugden, but run the interconnects to the amplifier from the TAPE OUT on the Sugden. If I understand correctly, this would mean that the Sugden could still operate as a headphone amp with no trouble. But when the headphones are not in use, the Sugden would become simply a source selector. All the volume issues would be handled one stage earlier in the chain.
Does option (5) sound as though it should work? Am I right in thinking that the tape out simply avoids the volume control in the pre-amp? Does the pre-amp care whether there is a tape deck or a power amp connected to the tape-out?
An advantage of (5) is that it actually provides motivation for my wife to approve replacing the current digital source with a modded squeeze box 2.
Is (5) a reasonable option or not?
Chad
