Digital Volume vs a Passive pre amp

[Old_School_Brad]

Slightly going off track, but I just found a SACD rip where I had ripped the CD layer and separately the SACD two channel layer. Ignoring a true blind test, going back and forth between the same track on both versions, I couldn’t hear blind bit of difference between either of them. So that DSD64 vs 44/16. My hearing is undoubtably not what it was 40 years ago when I started my hIfi journey, but nonetheless I was a little surprised.

I think I should perhaps forget about the trivial and non audible differences between hires versions and focus on decent recordings.

Now might be a good opportunity to include comparisons with lossy formats as well - or is that asking too much?

 

[Iwf]

I believe GLM has similar functionality.

Roon certainly has

 

[scm77]

Yes, it quite possible that with digital volume control, you can inadvertently turn the system on at full power, a most unhappy situation. With a physical volume knob, at least you can quickly grab it and turn it down.

This is my big fear with digital only volume. I am toying with the idea of either a passive pre before the power amp/actives and then setting the pre to the maximum volume i would need with the DAC at full output and then just attenuating with the DAC volume....accidental full volume is then just loud rather than catastrophic.

Less worried about quality loss which I very much doubt I can hear and more about general safety for the speakers and my ears.

 

[antcollinet]

This is my big fear with digital only volume. I am toying with the idea of either a passive pre before the power amp/actives and then setting the pre to the maximum volume i would need with the DAC at full output and then just attenuating with the DAC volume....accidental full volume is then just loud rather than catastrophic.

Less worried about quality loss which I very much doubt I can hear and more about general safety for the speakers and my ears.

Or jut install a pair of passive attenuators on the input to your amp. Again selected to allow full digital volume to give you your loudest desired listening level.

 

[scm77]

Or jut install a pair of passive attenuators on the input to your amp. Again selected to allow full digital volume to give you your loudest desired listening level.

Interesting - so I just identify the level of attenuation from the -db value on the DAC and buy attenuators to that amount....e.g. if -35 dB is the loudest i want it i then get a -35db attenuator and run anything up to full volume on the DAC? Sounds even simpler

 

[antcollinet]

Interesting - so I just identify the level of attenuation from the -db value on the DAC and buy attenuators to that amount....e.g. if -35 dB is the loudest i want it i then get a -35db attenuator and run anything up to full volume on the DAC? Sounds even simpler

Yep - that. Though 35dB is probably more than you need to protect speakers/your hearing. That would reduce the output of a 200W amp down to about 1/4 watt.

 

[scm77]

Yep - that. Though 35dB is probably more than you need to protect speakers/your hearing. That would reduce the output of a 200W amp down to about 1/4 watt.

Thanks - that all makes sense and the real value will be determined once everything is in place of course. Once again ASR brings it home.

 

[Sokel]

Thanks - that all makes sense and the real value will be determined once everything is in place of course. Once again ASR brings it home.

-35 on the usual consumer DAC displays is NOT -35dB though,better measure it and then choose the appropriate attenuator.
Make sure you find something that suits your gear impedance-wise,it's far west out there with these things.

 

[staticV3]

-35 on the usual consumer DAC displays is NOT -35dB though

Actually, if the DAC's volume control goes from 0 to -99 or w/e, then chances are pretty high that it's in dB.

Non-dB volume controls are usually those that go from 0 to 100.

Though yeah, better measure it to make sure.

 

[antcollinet]

Actually, if the DAC's volume control goes from 0 to -99 or w/e, then chances are pretty high that it's in dB.

Non-dB volume controls are usually those that go from 0 to 100.

Though yeah, better measure it to make sure.

The mini DSP Flex display specifically shows it as dB. Plus it seems to behave as dB, with 10 either way resulting in a perceived halving/doubling of volume.

 

[Hayabusa]

passive in analog domain will sound better. Get something like a goldpoint, basically a single resistor in signal path, it will have better detail than truncating the source in digital domain.

If the start point is that that your DAC is transparent at maximum volume, a well implemented digital volume control will never give audible distortions.