System edited: With the addition of the TG Audio speaker cables - over Cardas GR - I am really getting immense satisfaction from my system. May look at a Silversmith interconnect.
Not personally familiar with your equipment but I am assuming you Berning unit is integrated. You generally get higher quality sound using the volume pot on your amp and using a fixed output on your CD player. The variable outputs on a CD player are usually lower quality than the fixed outputs.
What happened to your Cary CD-308? I'd like to know what you ended up thinking of it, as it held the seat of your AA Capitole CDP not long ago? I posted a comparison of the Cary, an Arcam CD23, and the Heart CD6000.
Gunbei- I put the volume of the Berning to about 3/4 and use volume control of the Capitole with the remote.
Czbbcl- Thanks for your comment. After using a Hovland HP-100 in this set up, I happily sold it when I got - to me - better sound/results going direct from cdp to amp. What does a pre do to the signal to make it "much better?" I certailny don't need a volume control.
You have the system I want! The Capitole together with the ZH270 must be an awesome combo, along with ProAc speakers which I love as well. My system is the cheap, less elegant version of yours. Maybe some day I'll get there, but for now I'm satisfied. Do you use the volume control on the Audio Aero or on the David Berning? Very, very nice indeed.