MrDamianOZ
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2021
- Messages
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- 4
Hello,
I've been reading the forum for quite a while, but it's my first time posting, hoping to find a light in the dark about one subject that has been bugging me for a long time.
I've always been convinced and told by others, that digital volume control is a bad thing and that it decreases sound quality, because it alters the signal itself, rather than level of amplification.
And since I'm considering some updates to my stereo setup, I was trying to find a definitive answer to the question - do I need a preamp between a DAC and a power amp?
Most of the DACs I've been looking into have volume control integrated, but as far as I can tell, all of them do it digitally.
For now, I'm running Roon into Raspberry Pi 4 and then to Topping D30 (which I plan to upgrade at some point in the future) via USB, and from there to my old Denon PMA-100M (which definitely needs an upgrade, and will be the first thing in my setup to go).
When I decrease volume in the Roon app, I feel like the quality decreases slightly (the sound is less energetic), but I'm not sure if it's because of how Topping D30 reacts to lowering the volume in the app, or maybe it's just me making it up, by wanting to hear a difference to rationalize what I've been told my whole life.
So the question is - provided that I purchase a good DAC (let's say Gustard X16 or Topping D90, or something in this area of performance) and connect it via XLR to a power amp, will DAC's volume control be audibly harmful to sound quality and would it be beneficial to purchase a preamp (maybe Topping Pre90), or should I just not worry, and go straight from the DAC to the amp?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Best,
Damian
I've been reading the forum for quite a while, but it's my first time posting, hoping to find a light in the dark about one subject that has been bugging me for a long time.
I've always been convinced and told by others, that digital volume control is a bad thing and that it decreases sound quality, because it alters the signal itself, rather than level of amplification.
And since I'm considering some updates to my stereo setup, I was trying to find a definitive answer to the question - do I need a preamp between a DAC and a power amp?
Most of the DACs I've been looking into have volume control integrated, but as far as I can tell, all of them do it digitally.
For now, I'm running Roon into Raspberry Pi 4 and then to Topping D30 (which I plan to upgrade at some point in the future) via USB, and from there to my old Denon PMA-100M (which definitely needs an upgrade, and will be the first thing in my setup to go).
When I decrease volume in the Roon app, I feel like the quality decreases slightly (the sound is less energetic), but I'm not sure if it's because of how Topping D30 reacts to lowering the volume in the app, or maybe it's just me making it up, by wanting to hear a difference to rationalize what I've been told my whole life.
So the question is - provided that I purchase a good DAC (let's say Gustard X16 or Topping D90, or something in this area of performance) and connect it via XLR to a power amp, will DAC's volume control be audibly harmful to sound quality and would it be beneficial to purchase a preamp (maybe Topping Pre90), or should I just not worry, and go straight from the DAC to the amp?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Best,
Damian
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