Can the Impact Twin be used as Preamp in a home stereo system?

[hionhifi]

I just pulled the trigger on a TC Electronic Impact Twin that I plan to use for various things; Audio DiffMaker, RightMark Audio Analyzer testing, and as a DAC and finally, hopefully as a Preamplifier. My first question is: "Can the Impact Twin be used as Preamp in a home stereo system?"

 

The output impedance of the TCIT (Preamp) = 100ohms

The input impedance of the First Watt M2 (Amp) = 100Kohms

 

To match preamp and amplifier optimally the output impedance of the preamp should be 1/10 the input impedance of the amplifier.

 

ex.

If the amplifier has an input impedance of 20k, the output impedance of the preamp should be 2k.

 

20k/10=2k

 

So in my case the ex. looks like;

 

amplifier input impedance is 100Kohms, the output impedance of the preamp should be 10k.

 

100k/10=10k

 

The TCIT is only 100ohms.

 

Next question is "What effect will this have sound quality and it's ability to serve as a preamp in my system? "

[iago]

To match preamp and amplifier optimally the output impedance of the preamp should be 1/10 the input impedance of the amplifier.

 

As to my understanding, the above is a inequality, not an equation:

 

R

_i

< R

_a

/ 10

 

as the objective in small signal transmission is not maximizing the transmitted energy, but keeping the voltage unchanged. Thus you should have no problems driving your amplifier with the Impact twin.

[hionhifi]

Ok, do you know if it's optimal?

[iago]

Ok, do you know if it's optimal?

 

Their is no right value in this case. Optimum would be zero resistance in the source and infinite resistance in the sink. In practice, around 500 Ω for a source and 50 kΩ for a sink are usual values. Since you are well above the factor of 10, this connection should work perfectly.