There are two firmware variations available. The default one starts with a low volume for safety when people use it connected directly to a power amp. The alternative one starts with maximum volume for those who want to use it as a pure DAC and have volume control done by preamp, integrated amp or whatever. You can load whichever firmware better fits your needs.
Thank you for the reply. I wish the manufacturer would be more clear as opposed to having this information on forums and re-sellers websites . Also, do you know if this also applies to the SAGD1?
I'm in Canada, and the shipping price is double for the Schiit Modius versus the Soncoz which have better optical performance which is very important to me since I use consoles. I'm also considering the SMSL MK300 2 which has a pure dac mode and is sold in Canada by Amazon, but there are no optical measurements.