Aiyima A07 volume control

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Just got an Aiyima A07. I'm using it as a desktop amp. I have my desktop computer and a Raspberry Pi with a JustBoom DAC connected to a Schitt Modi III. The speakers are Cambridge Soundworks New Ensemble. Just for fun I added a Cambridge Soundworks 10" subwoofer. The amp uses the 32 V power supply that came with it. The amp is great for this purpose. A minor inconvenience is that I only get about 5 degrees--2 dots--of adjustment on the volume control before it gets too loud. My listening position is about 3 feet from the satellite speakers. I've lowered the volume at the desktop machine to the 50% level. The Pi, running PiCore PlayerSqueezelite/Jivelite using the coax output from the DAC HAT is currently set at fixed 0 dB output.

I'd like to get at least 45 degrees of volume adjustment range from the amp volume control to fine tune the volume. Should I just reduce the output from the desktop computer and the Pi to get the degree of control I want? I've read that using software volume control ahead of the amp can degrade sound quality. The sensitivity spec on the speakers, just looked it up, is 86 dB, impedance 6 ohms. Would a 24 V power supply be OK?

I've had these speakers for 20 and 30 years. I bought the Ensemble in the early '90s and the subwoofer as part of a surround sound setup around 2001. l replaced a Harman Kardon 80 honest wpc receiver I bought refurbed from the manufacturer shortly after the subwoofer because it needed a new volume control or a weekly shot of Deoxit. The HK receiver volume control had a much wider adjustment range. I love the Aiyima. For this setup it sounds great. Used '90s mid-fi amps of more or less similar quality generally cost over $100. I like having new caps etc.

 

[staticV3]

Just got an Aiyima A07. I'm using it as a desktop amp. I have my desktop computer and a Raspberry Pi with a JustBoom DAC connected to a Schitt Modi III.
The Pi, running PiCore PlayerSqueezelite/Jivelite using the coax output from the DAC HAT is currently set at fixed 0 dB output.

Could it be that you have the DIGI Hat, not the DAC Hat?

Because the DAC Hat doesn't have SPDIF out and so can't be connected to the Schiit Modi.

 

[Joe Smith]

Yes, my A07 with the 32v/5a power supply gets plenty loud. I rarely turn it beyond about the 10 o'clock position with a regular level line input source. The amp does fine with a 24v/5a power supply, you will gain a little bit more control using the volume knob with that level of power. With a Modi 3 dac, you should not experience any audible degradation if you level down the computer volume, though. Then you just need to remember if you switch to a full line source again, such as a CD player or Bluetooth receiver.

The A07 is so powerful with the 32v supply that I sometimes use my A04 instead, which sounds as good but has much lower gain. It's actually better suited as an amp for low-level listening.

I think the general wisdom is that is you are running the dac at 24 bit sampling rather than 16, there should be no effect when you lower the computer's volume level...

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Could it be that you have the DIGI Hat, not the DAC Hat?
View attachment 280242
Because the DAC Hat doesn't have SPDIF out and so can't be connected to the Schiit Modi.

You're right. Digi it is.