rebelwriteruk
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2026
- Messages
- 2
- Likes
- 1
I’ve not long joined the community, and have found the site a very useful place for a no-nonsense approach to audio reproduction. I’ve been into HiFi for well over 50 years here in the UK. Apart from CD, my knowledge of digital playback is limited compared to some of you here.
So, excuse the possibly stupid question I have, from someone who on the whole has been a long-time audio enthusiast.
I have 3 effective volume controls in a streaming system, and would like to know if I’m on the right track in the way I have set them.
The system comprises of a Linux netbook, which I use as a playback device, running DeaDBeef, playing flac files from a local library, and utilising the alsa plugin. Which effectively, as I’m led to believe, outputs the stream via a USB port, and bypasses the netbook’s soundcard when a DAC is attached.
The data is passed from the netbook to a DAC which is a headphone amp, (the Douk Audio K5), which then sends the converted signal through to a Marantz 2215B receiver, then obviously to my speakers.
DeaDBeef has its own volume control, the Douk K5 also sports a volume control (which for all intents and purposes doesn’t appear to be a digital one), and obviously the Marantz has its own volume pot. In this set up because I’m bypassing the netbook’s sound card, the netbook’s operating system’s volume control does not function with the K5 attached, passing that duty onto the K5 itself.
So, I’ve set DeaDBeef’s volume control (gain?) to -3db, the K5 to almost maximum (full scale then turned back a tad). That seems to give me enough fine control over the final volume using the volume pot on the Marantz. Simply put I’ve done it this way for 2 reasons, 1) I don’t want to clip the signal, and 2) I want enough range for final control on the Marantz’s volume pot.
If I set DeaDBeef and the K5 to max, I’m finding the fine control on the Marantz is a little too fine, but setting DeaDBeef and the K5 to slightly less than maximum, gives me a decent range of control.
So, my question is, am I on the right track with these settings on my particular system, or am I somehow losing out sonically, even though my 65-year-old ears don’t seem to detect a difference?
I’ll also add I’m not experiencing any unwanted noise with this set up, no matter where I set any of the volume controls. All I seem to be losing is the ability to fine tune the final volume on the Marantz. Would that be a correct assumption?
So, excuse the possibly stupid question I have, from someone who on the whole has been a long-time audio enthusiast.
I have 3 effective volume controls in a streaming system, and would like to know if I’m on the right track in the way I have set them.
The system comprises of a Linux netbook, which I use as a playback device, running DeaDBeef, playing flac files from a local library, and utilising the alsa plugin. Which effectively, as I’m led to believe, outputs the stream via a USB port, and bypasses the netbook’s soundcard when a DAC is attached.
The data is passed from the netbook to a DAC which is a headphone amp, (the Douk Audio K5), which then sends the converted signal through to a Marantz 2215B receiver, then obviously to my speakers.
DeaDBeef has its own volume control, the Douk K5 also sports a volume control (which for all intents and purposes doesn’t appear to be a digital one), and obviously the Marantz has its own volume pot. In this set up because I’m bypassing the netbook’s sound card, the netbook’s operating system’s volume control does not function with the K5 attached, passing that duty onto the K5 itself.
So, I’ve set DeaDBeef’s volume control (gain?) to -3db, the K5 to almost maximum (full scale then turned back a tad). That seems to give me enough fine control over the final volume using the volume pot on the Marantz. Simply put I’ve done it this way for 2 reasons, 1) I don’t want to clip the signal, and 2) I want enough range for final control on the Marantz’s volume pot.
If I set DeaDBeef and the K5 to max, I’m finding the fine control on the Marantz is a little too fine, but setting DeaDBeef and the K5 to slightly less than maximum, gives me a decent range of control.
So, my question is, am I on the right track with these settings on my particular system, or am I somehow losing out sonically, even though my 65-year-old ears don’t seem to detect a difference?
I’ll also add I’m not experiencing any unwanted noise with this set up, no matter where I set any of the volume controls. All I seem to be losing is the ability to fine tune the final volume on the Marantz. Would that be a correct assumption?
