I recently got my "bucket list" speakers: a pair of Ohm Walsh 3000s. I love them, but it didn't take long to figure out that my current amp (an NAD C356DAC with 80 watts/channel) isn't strong enough to really bring out the full potential of these speakers.

I've been looking at new integrated amps, but my budget is limited by the money I spent for the speakers (and the wife ). But, then I had the thought of getting a simple power amp (e.g., the NAD C298 with 185 watts/channel) and connecting it to the C356DAC and using that as a preamp and DAC.

Is this feasible? I appreciate any opinions or suggestions. Thanks!

Front of current amp:


Back of current amp:

Your current amp has a set of "Pre-Out" jacks (currently jumpered to the neighboring "Main In" jacks) so it should be technically feasible to use it as a pre-amp to feed into a separate power amp of your choice.

There may be some internal settings to play with (check your friendly user manual) but if you remove the jumpers and connect those Pre-Outs to the inputs of a new power amp, Bob should be your uncle.

It'll work. You'll need 2 RCA cables (preferably a 1 to 1 plug instead of a 1 to 2 plug) and hook them into the pre out channel, set you DAC to use the pre out connection instead of it's amp, and you're set.

Terrific. Thanks guys. I appreciate your help!

My very first set of speakers were Ohm E's...back around 1975.

Do I recall that the Ohm speakers were very low impedance and therefore hard to drive? I'm going by recollection from about 40 years ago.

Sorry, I don't know. Mine are 8 ohm

I first heard of Ohm a couple of years ago when my audiophile son got a pair used. I was wowed when I heard his and it put the bug in me.

Congratulations on a pair of great speakers.
Used to own two pairs of Ohm 2x0 and they were a pleasure listening to Jazz music.

My wife hated them and killed them one by one.

Now i sit in the middle of two pairs of ESS Amt 12 (definitely a very personal acquired taste) and the wife frolics at the idea of murdering them.

0-0

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Do I recall that the Ohm speakers were very low impedance and therefore hard to drive? I'm going by recollection from about 40 years ago.

If they're recent then the specs say 6 ohm impedance. Either way, with the money he's going to throw at a NAD amp, it should handle 4 ohm loads easy.

Yes you can connect directly a power amp to a DAC.
You will want to be able to control the volume > important.
And yes you can route the DAC to a low level input on your current amp.
I've done it both ways.
On my office setup:
* Computer(usb)>Topping D90>GAS Son Amp but both my DAC and my computer can control the volume.
In my Garage:
* (old) AIO computer(usb)>Audioquest Dragonfly Red> (old) JVC Receiver> aux input.

Both are networked inside-wired, garage-wifi, to play music either from online sources or from my personal collection of FLAC on my NAS.

You just need to match output/inputs and be able to control volume.
The cabling generally needs to be 3.5mm stereo cable to RCA for the DAC to the amp.

PS ..love the Ohm speakers too, still have an N2 sub albeit I had to replace the woofer.
Sold quite a few back in the day.

I thought integrated amplifiers were a thing of the past. I looked up NAD—lots of options.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I thought integrated amplifiers were a thing of the past. I looked up NAD—lots of options.

No but 2-channel has dwindled to a niche market of old highly intelligent enthusiasts especially for vintage equipment.
Not so many sit around and listen to music anymore much which is unfortunate and why the older music is so much better than most of the music produced today.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

Not so many sit around and listen to music anymore much which is unfortunate and why the older music is so much better than most of the music produced today.

Ain't that the truth!

Except for indie and folk music, most of the music I listen to is jazz from the 50s and 60s.

Even if you factor in the music of a different era the music was still better.
Sure, when we were young the older music was not cool.
However, now in retrospect I have much more respect today than I did then even if it still isn't my preference.
Nevertheless, with the lack of creativity, auto-tuning and whatever seems much is lacking today.
For me music has deteriorated starting in the mid-nineties with some exceptions of course.

About four or five years ago I went to a college football game with some of my fellow alumni (late 70's, early 80's).
Great game and we all stopped at a college bar near the campus.
I was taken back with the background music playing ~ some mindless techno-drone sound seemingly on loop.
I wasn't expecting some good old Lynyrd Skynyrd but c'mon ~ that drone music excites you today?