Preamp or power amp. What’s more important?

It’s a hard one because something like a Bryston has an unbustabke drive to it.Using a lesser amp would not give this. But the. A crappy preamp loses lots of detail and presence. Maybe it’s a weakest link thing.

I hadn’t considered that aspect.

I’d say other than source, the rest of the system is about matching and weakest link - the best pre and power amp into crap speakers will be crap. Ditto great speakers fed by the wrong power amp won’t be good. But the best speakers fed by the best amp still might not make the best combo if they don’t match - a low power valve amp into power hungry speakers or a massive pair of power amps into horns

For me the source is less about matching than weakest link - the best source will sound as good as the rest of the system let’s it but it’s the combination that matters for the rest

I bypassed the anologue output stage of my Naim CD3.5 and preferred it. Maybe i got lucky with the dac chip and it did not mind this. And i run this TDA1305 straight into an NVa style passive pre (well its just a potential divider consisting of 2 resistors per channel) and i have witnessed no problems that bother me too much. I think Martin Clark on PFM was rather perplexed by this outcome but i guess even the greatest minds can not see all ends.

Hey Andrew. Yes i have compared. I have a completely untouched 3.5 that i bought for exactly that purpose ( and for spares if needed).  I have not put it in my system recently but i did a while back and it was a fun exercise. It had much less detail mainly the atmosphere and feeling of the performance, you know the little things that make music sound real and not a photocopy.

I have done so much to the poor thing it is a surprise that it still works. Still on the original transport that came with it when i bought it new in 1997 ( Image Audio in Headingly Leeds). Some would say it is no longer a Naim and i suppose it isn't but i wouldn't go back to the stock player. I still have things to do to it like isolating more of the chips and giving them their own psu.

Anyway this was supposed to be about impedance matching. Running the dac chip straight to a 10k potential divider (equivalent of a 10k ohm stepped attenuator without the switch)  and then on to two nva style mono blocs and two diy Avondale voyager mono blocs sounds bloody good to me. I was a bit paranoid at first that i had lost some "drive" for want of a better word but the more i listened the more i realised there were no issues and that the Naim 7 pole bessel filter output stage removed a lot of spatial information and gave the performance an unnatural sheen.

I try not to blow my own trumpet too much but this cdp is my ultimate creation in diy audio . No one else has heard it so i may be talking a load of bollocks. Playing drums in so many bands over the last 30 years has really trained my ears i think. I loved the 3.5 when i bought it because at the time i was young and full of testosterone.  The drums sounded more rhythmic through the 3.5 than anything i auditioned at the time. Playing drums in bands has really taught me to listen to all the other instruments and the way tbey interact with each other. I have enhanced those aspects of the 3.5. I think think these are the main reasons i agreed with RD's way of doing things and the importance of phase.

Sorry for the ramble.

You should have kept that giant Krell you serviced.