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Does anyone make a digital in/out passive volume control?

Daniel7

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Something like the Schiit SYS Passive Preamp Volume Control, but that uses a digital input and provides a digital output? This doesn't seem to exist, and if it does probably nowhere near the price point of a passive analog control.

Hypothetically, could one create what I'm inquiring about in a way that would not need to convert or degrade a digital signal?
 

DVDdoug

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It would have to be done digitally (amplification and attenuation are about the simplest DSP you can do).

Or you'd need an analog attenuator in-between a digital-to-analog converter and an analog-to-digital converter, which would be silly and technically worse than doing it digitally.
 

Chazz6

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Depends on your setup. Mine uses the BubbleUPnP app on a tablet. It is DLNA controller, choosing what to play from a DLNA server source (in my case, Minimserver). The digital stream feeds into a DAC. The BubbleUPnP app has a volume slider, which must be digital.
 
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Daniel7

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Depends on your setup. Mine uses the BubbleUPnP app on a tablet. It is DLNA controller, choosing what to play from a DLNA server source (in my case, Minimserver). The digital stream feeds into a DAC. The BubbleUPnP app has a volume slider, which must be digital.
I don't understand your reply to be honest. But I surmise that what I've posted about doesn't really exist in a form like the Schiit unit I mentioned. Interesting.

I'm not sure if this is due to a difficult implementation, not enough demand, or very nice D/A conversions already being available so performance gain for a full digital path would be negligible.
 

phoenixdogfan

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If you use JRiver, it has a 64 bit digital volume control, and it's adjustable by an app on you can put on your phone called JRemote, so the phone's rocker switch can act as the master volume control.
 

Blumlein 88

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Something like the Schiit SYS Passive Preamp Volume Control, but that uses a digital input and provides a digital output? This doesn't seem to exist, and if it does probably nowhere near the price point of a passive analog control.

Hypothetically, could one create what I'm inquiring about in a way that would not need to convert or degrade a digital signal?
It would require some DSP. I've had old Tact preamps that were all digital input and digital output with volume control. Not passive, passive is not possible. It was just like an analog preamp only digital. Meridian also made such devices. It essentially offers no advantage over doing the volume change with software to the digital stream which is probably why such products are not around.
 
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Daniel7

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Jimbob54

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Doesn't attenuating a digital signal by definition degrade it? Whether that results in audible effects is unlikely. I would have thought you were far better just using the volume slider in source device (if it exists) or in the dac (if it has one) than adding another box in the chain which has scope to add jitter etc (and require another plug socket).

Failing that, an analog preamp or passive analog volume would be your best bet.
 

JeremyFife

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What are you trying to do (apart from adjust volume ...)? Where in your signal chain do you want to put this? There may be alternatives
 
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Daniel7

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What are you trying to do (apart from adjust volume ...)? Where in your signal chain do you want to put this? There may be alternatives
For a desk I have limited space on. I could put an amp elsewhere and just have the volume control on the desk. The source is digital (PC) so I'd like to keep an all-digital signal path to a digital amp if possible. I'm liking the SMSL A300 but don't have the desk room. I know from use that I want a physical volume control. I'm guessing others would balk at this but other options are non-starters for me.
 
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Jimbob54

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What about a dial /knob that would control the windows volume slider?
 

Jimbob54

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The issue I've encountered is that windows can't control a digital output. In-app volume works, but not the overall, which is a must for me.
Strange as it works for me. Are you using the app/player in exclusive mode?
 

Gruesome

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There are several companies that make rotary controllers (think computer mice, but not sliding, and with a big round button). I use one from Griffin that is at least ten years old. It has survived several laptops. I think the Microsoft surface knob, or whatever it's called, is one of the latest. They are pretty nice for scrolling through video or audio, scrolling through pages, cursor control in drafting/designing, and of course volume control. You can program/select the function they attach to, both in the operating system or in specific applications.
 

Jimbob54

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USB or optical? I've read they function differently.
Never run optical out of a PC so maybe they do. Usb using the windows mixer (not exclusive mode) should allow master volume control.
 

ohnonotagain

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Doesn't attenuating a digital signal by definition degrade it? Whether that results in audible effects is unlikely.
Each time you halve the volume, you lose one bit of precision. So playing at 25% loses two bits; 12.5% loses three bits; and so on. If the output is 24-bit then the loss of precision will disappear into the noise of the DAC. If it's working on a 16-bit signal, it will measurably, but not necessarily audibly, affect the output.
 
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