Hi, i was wondering if the Massdrop THX AAA 789 , the Massdrop CTH and the THX one linear can be used without a DAC. Im asking because i can either get one of the above amps and run them without a Dac or i can get the THX one linear with MASSDROP X GRACE DESIGN STANDARD DAC (the non balanced one). Also i was wondering if there are any major problems with the Massdrop CTH because I have heard about static and tube problems.
Technically, you can use those amps without a special dac, you’d just run a 3.5 to RCA in the back of them, but that would not be recommended. You’ll get a much cleaner signal with even a cheaper dac like the Grace or a Topping D10s or something like that.
I have a CTH (actually two), I love it. Static on tubes seems to be dependent on the tube. If you have problems with the tube, you can easily replace it for less than $20.
The 789 really improves considerably when fed with an outboard DAC, even a cheaper one. I use one with a Modi 3+ as my office rig and it sounds fantastic, worth the $100.
1 Like