Audio-Technica AT8202 Adjustable In-Line Attenuator Measurements and Review
The AT8202 is an analog attenuator that provides up to adjustable attenuation for XLR devices in 10 dB increments (-10, -20 and -30 dB). It is made in Taiwan. These are primarily used to attenuate microphones, but if you have a high gain amplifier, you may not be using the full output power of your DAC. The question is if the DAC's internal digital volume is good enough or if these expensive accessories actually do anything in the present day. The theory is that as you attenuate the signal on the DAC digital, you're not attenuating the residual noise, just the signal. With these analog attenuators, the residual noise is also being attenuated. The Fosi ZD3 uses the internal volume control of the ESS DAC and it's a pretty good setup.
Test Setup
Fosi ZD3 into E1DA Cosmos ADC
HP Envy 15 on AC power
Baseline Measurement: 111.1 SINAD
(80 volume on the ZD3)
I can get 116 dB SINAD even at 78 vol when I run my laptop off battery power, but is a nice real-world example of how actual performance may differ from theoretical max.
VOL set to 70 = 103.6 dB
vs.
80-10 dB AT8202 = 107.4 dB
VOL set to 60 = 94.2 dB
vs.
80-20 dB AT8202 = 99.5 dB
Frequency Response
Note that the attenuator set to -10 is actually closer to -12 dB. This means that the AT8202 performance benefit is even higher than the numbers I have shown.
Conclusion
A high-end analog attenuator is superior to the internal DAC volume of the ESS 9032Q2M. That said, at pre-2025-tariff pricing, a Fosi ZD3 is around $170 while a pair of these analog attenuators is already $144 at retail (though discounts can be found)!
The extra 5 dB in SINAD is unlikely to be audible, however if the residual noise of your DAC/amplifier/speaker combo is audible, using an attenuator might be a good solution. The Audio-Technica AT8202 may be one of the most expensive attenuators on the market. Future testing will be needed to determine if generic-fixed, or generic-variable XLR attenuators that are available at lower prices are equally as effective compared to the digital volume of the ESS DAC. These are much more affordable.
@amirm
The AT8202 is an analog attenuator that provides up to adjustable attenuation for XLR devices in 10 dB increments (-10, -20 and -30 dB). It is made in Taiwan. These are primarily used to attenuate microphones, but if you have a high gain amplifier, you may not be using the full output power of your DAC. The question is if the DAC's internal digital volume is good enough or if these expensive accessories actually do anything in the present day. The theory is that as you attenuate the signal on the DAC digital, you're not attenuating the residual noise, just the signal. With these analog attenuators, the residual noise is also being attenuated. The Fosi ZD3 uses the internal volume control of the ESS DAC and it's a pretty good setup.
Test Setup
Fosi ZD3 into E1DA Cosmos ADC
HP Envy 15 on AC power
Baseline Measurement: 111.1 SINAD
(80 volume on the ZD3)
I can get 116 dB SINAD even at 78 vol when I run my laptop off battery power, but is a nice real-world example of how actual performance may differ from theoretical max.
VOL set to 70 = 103.6 dB
vs.
80-10 dB AT8202 = 107.4 dB
VOL set to 60 = 94.2 dB
vs.
80-20 dB AT8202 = 99.5 dB
Frequency Response
Note that the attenuator set to -10 is actually closer to -12 dB. This means that the AT8202 performance benefit is even higher than the numbers I have shown.
Conclusion
A high-end analog attenuator is superior to the internal DAC volume of the ESS 9032Q2M. That said, at pre-2025-tariff pricing, a Fosi ZD3 is around $170 while a pair of these analog attenuators is already $144 at retail (though discounts can be found)!
The extra 5 dB in SINAD is unlikely to be audible, however if the residual noise of your DAC/amplifier/speaker combo is audible, using an attenuator might be a good solution. The Audio-Technica AT8202 may be one of the most expensive attenuators on the market. Future testing will be needed to determine if generic-fixed, or generic-variable XLR attenuators that are available at lower prices are equally as effective compared to the digital volume of the ESS DAC. These are much more affordable.
@amirm
