Dongle dac/amp set at max volume and use software volume control?

[dlovesmusic]

Hi everyone, I am relatively new at usb dongle dac/amp with iem.

Just got a hidizs s9 pro plus Martha for a pair of Zero:Red.

Would like to know if there’s any pros or cons to setting the Martha volume to max and using my playback software to adjust volume?

I always use digital volume control for my dac directly to power amp in a speaker system but obviously with a dongle dac/amp it has the amp in the chain

Thanks

 

[Brian Hall]

Hi everyone, I am relatively new at usb dongle dac/amp with iem.

Just got a hidizs s9 pro plus Martha for a pair of Zero:Red.

Would like to know if there’s any pros or cons to setting the Martha volume to max and using my playback software to adjust volume?

I always use digital volume control for my dac directly to power amp in a speaker system but obviously with a dongle dac/amp it has the amp in the chain

Thanks

Since the dongle DAC gets power from your phone or tablet, leaving it on max volume will drain your battery faster. Will that be an issue?

 

[dlovesmusic]

Since the dongle DAC gets power from your phone or tablet, leaving it on max volume will drain your battery faster. Will that be an issue?

Nope that would not be an issue for me. This will be used in a work desktop setup. A rpi5 running hqplayer out to the Martha to the Zero:Red. Will distortion start kicking in with the Martha amp set at max volume?

 

[Brian Hall]

Nope that would not be an issue for me. This will be used in a work desktop setup. A rpi5 running hqplayer out to the Martha to the Zero:Red. Will distortion start kicking in with the Martha amp set at max volume?

Sorry, not familiar with that dongle DAC. I have a cheap Fosi dongle that I only use outside or when waiting somewhere. My desktop setup uses a Schiit stack with a dedicated streamer.

 

[popej]

You probably don't need full power. Just set volume to the highest level you might need and then use software volume to get lower levels. If you don't hear noise, then it is OK.
I don't know your DAC, but there is possibility, that hardware volume can be controlled directly by RPi. This would make your problem disappear.

 

[staticV3]

Since the dongle DAC gets power from your phone or tablet, leaving it on max volume will drain your battery faster. Will that be an issue?

It won't drain faster.

Battery drain is dictated by output volume.
If you set the dongle to max, but the OS to min, then output volume is low and so is battery drain.

 

[dlovesmusic]

Thanks everyone, so it does sound like there's likely no right or wrong, I can do any combination of adjusting software volume or the dac/amp volume and it would be fine?

 

[staticV3]

Thanks everyone, so it does sound like there's likely no right or wrong, I can do any combination of adjusting software volume or the dac/amp volume and it would be fine?

Yep.