Any budget amplifier with digital volume knob or stepped attenuator?

[Deleted member 58865]

AIYIMA A07 is fine, but its one flaw is that it has channel imbalance below 9'o clock. So, I just keep the volume knob at 9'o clock and control DAC volume. I rarely ever need to fiddle with the volume knob. Although this setup is fine, I wish the volume knob had perfect channel balance at lowest volumes.

I would not mind a digital stereo amplifier with a digital volume knob like SMSL AO100 if it comes without bluetooth or if I can disable bluetooth completely. I don't use bluetooth, and bluetooth chipset tends to raise noise floor so much that I hear hiss from my speakers. This is not acceptable.

Amplifier manufacturers seriously need to ditch analog volume knobs and adopt stepped attenuators or digital volume knobs which have perfect channel balance at every volume level.

 

[AaronJ]

Sabaj A10h Review (Headphone Amplifier)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Sabaj A10h headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and cots US $120 on Amazon including Prime shipping. Note: without asking, the company made a generous donation to the forum prior to this review. As you can imagine, such can't...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This is probably the least expensive way to add relay stepped attenuation to an amp, and nowadays it's only $75 on Amazon. I'm not aware of any budget amps that include this feature.

 

[somebodyelse]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/allo-volt-d-amplifier-review.15539/

 

[Joe Smith]

I own both an A07 and SMSL AO100. I don't notice any hiss creep from BT when using the line input on the AO100...

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Sabaj A10h Review (Headphone Amplifier)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Sabaj A10h headphone amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and cots US $120 on Amazon including Prime shipping. Note: without asking, the company made a generous donation to the forum prior to this review. As you can imagine, such can't...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This is probably the least expensive way to add relay stepped attenuation to an amp, and nowadays it's only $75 on Amazon. I'm not aware of any budget amps that include this feature.

That's a headphone amplifier. I already have Fiio K5 Pro ESS which has a digital volume knob.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

I own both an A07 and SMSL AO100. I don't notice any hiss creep from BT when using the line input on the AO100...

The question is whether I can completely disable bluetooth in SMSL AO100 and never have to think about it again.

 

[Talisman]

That's a headphone amplifier. I already have Fiio K5 Pro ESS which has a digital volume knob.

It's also a transparent RCA preamp. you can use it upstream of the Aiyina a07 (using it as a power amp) and adjusting the volume from the sabaj.
You'd get the fine-tuning you want, plus you'd have a great headphone amp just in case.

 

[Deleted member 58865]

It's also a transparent RCA preamp. you can use it upstream of the Aiyina a07 (using it as a power amp) and adjusting the volume from the sabaj.
You'd get the fine-tuning you want, plus you'd have a great headphone amp just in case.

I see. However, Sabaj A10h requires additional power adaptor and is an additional box and adds more cables. It is not much better than controlling DAC volume.

I wish there was a better version of SMSL AO100 without bluetooth or AIYIMA A07 with a digital volume knob or stepped attenuators.

 

[Ruffy]

Probably above budget and it hasn’t been measured here, but have you consudered schiit saga s? Stepped attenuator, onboard power so ticks boxes?

I’m weighing up getting one but would love to see how they went on the test bench. The Freya S measures well at twice the price but offers finer volume control (128 steps at 0.625db vs 64 at 1db), also the reported SNR on there page states 110@1V vs Freya’s 115@2V.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Deleted member 58865]

My DAC is Topping D10s. Its SINAD is 112dB. Its SNR is 114dB. Even if I set DAC volume to -20dB, I still get 92dB of dynamic range. That's good enough since AIYIMA A07 doesn't have 92dB of dynamic range. I usually keep DAC volume at -20dB.

I guess we should just buy a good DAC and set DAC volume, then?

Update: I decided to keep DAC volume at -16dB because the dynamic range of Topping D10s becomes 96dB with its volume at -16dB.

 

[MCH]

I wish there was a better version of SMSL AO100 without bluetooth or AIYIMA A07 with a digital volume knob or stepped attenuators.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/allo-volt-d-amplifier-review.15539/

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Allo Volt+ D is almost what I want, except the plastic case which doesn't prevent EMF noise in AM radio frequencies from going out of the case. It should be in a metal case.

Strong AM radio frequency noise around my head causes headache probably because the brain is an electromagnetic bio machine. The neurons in my brain are probably disoriented by EMF noise. It's a well-known research fact that EMF can affect neurons.

For now, I would stick with DAC volume at -16dB.

 

[Zek]

Strong AM radio frequency noise around my head

You are lucky, you can directly listen to the radio without any devices...

 

[MCH]

Allo Volt+ D is almost what I want, except the plastic case which doesn't prevent EMF noise in AM radio frequencies from going out of the case. It should be in a metal case.

Strong AM radio frequency noise around my head causes headache probably because the brain is an electromagnetic bio machine. The neurons in my brain are probably disoriented by EMF noise. It's a well-known research fact that EMF can affect neurons.

For now, I would stick with DAC volume at -16dB.

Hi @krnji
I promise i don't work for Allo and i am not trying to convince you, i also think that the enclosure is the ugliest thing ever, more so in person (i own the Volt+D), but regarding your other concern:

Volt+ D (Double) 2x60W

Volt+ D (Double) 2x60W

allo.com

 

[Deleted member 58865]

Hi @krnji
I promise i don't work for Allo and i am not trying to convince you, i also think that the enclosure is the ugliest thing ever, more so in person (i own the Volt+D), but regarding your other concern:

View attachment 273296View attachment 273297

Volt+ D (Double) 2x60W

Volt+ D (Double) 2x60W

allo.com

That just means changing operating frequencies in order to enable you to listen to radio at certain frequencies.

It says "switching frequency selection". It merely allows you to select frequencies instead of quieting EMF noise.

A metal case is wanted.