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Message started by piezoman on 08/23/20 at 03:00:01

Title: preamp - CSP3 volume & weight/tone
Post by piezoman on 08/23/20 at 03:00:01

How much apparent volume increase is there with the addition of the CSP3 in your system [vs. no preamp], as well as weight & tone that is added with the 25th mods?

Thanks, Brad

Title: Re: preamp - CSP3 volume & weight/tone
Post by will on 08/23/20 at 03:43:44

With the Decware I have tried, I haven't experienced a pre increasing volume appreciably except if the source puts out pretty low voltage. Then the extra voltage hit from the pre seems to matter. With different Decware amps up to the Torii in wattage, I have tried to get more volume with a ZStage and CSP3, but have not heard a notable increase in overall volume before amp distortion. In my experience anyway, at some point of raising the CSP3 gain, the amp needs to be decreased to avoid distortion, and as best I can tell, the relative volume is pretty close to where the amp would distort on its own.

Hopefully others will comment on Steve's modifications. Mine probably relate in ways though. For them, Steve's original design choices were my reference, and though modifications could be used to more seriously adjust weight, that was not a goal for me. It was more about trying to more-or-less keep the original signature while increasing finer resolution, space, and speed/dynamics in musical ways... I would say increased resolution does increase density though, with more speed, contributing to the quality of weight.

Title: Re: preamp - CSP3 volume & weight/tone
Post by CAJames on 08/23/20 at 05:05:47

Quote:

...I have tried to get more volume with a ZStage and CSP3, but have not heard a notable increase in overall volume before amp distortion.

The maximum volume (before distortion) is simply the maximum voltage difference across the speaker terminals for which the amp can supply current. How you get to that maximum voltage, whether a preamp, or a zstage or a zbit or directly from your source component will change the character of the sound, but it won't (can't) change the maximum volume, aka voltage.

Title: Re: preamp - CSP3 volume & weight/tone
Post by will on 08/23/20 at 06:35:50

Thanks CAJames for your explanation of how volume works. My experience has been like you describe, where voltage balancing variations between source, pre stages and amps are more about sonic character changes than volume. And though some effects from how those gains/voltages balance can perhaps change the sense of volume some, they didn't seem to effect the real volume in notable ways in my setups.

Title: Re: preamp - CSP3 volume & weight/tone
Post by piezoman on 09/09/20 at 20:52:31

Thank you gentlemen for imparting that knowledge. Got it.