on the plus side they bypass the analog volume control (a good thing, believe me)?? My guess is that you still have a pre-amp.
My experience on this: Forget about your preamp and plug-in the output on your endstage. I use the EMU0404USB already for some years on my old Sony V-FET amp (in use since 1980). Just remove the bridge between pre / poweramp. I use the volume control on the EMU. You will be amazed. My brother repeated this trick with his expensive Audio Research valve preamp and sold it the other day on ebay, inclusive his Hi-end CD player. He just bought a balanced jack to XLR cable for the endstage, a white EMU 0404, a white mini netbook plus Fubar2000 and nothing more. I still remember the grine on our face.
I sounds so direct, that it frightened the first few minutes. But if you visit a live presentation of a jazz, you will recognize the direct sound of live music. Since then I rebuild my Roger Monitor speakers with 18" RCF, Fostex 166 and Fountek CD2 units and home made cross-overs. That gave me again a major step to a live representation of jazz in my home. I am very happy to replay Marcus Miller on this system, with volume wide open.....when my neighbors are not at home. Greetings from the Netherlands.
