Problem with Denafrips Ares II. Windows volume is Loud!!!

[vlad335]

Just picked this up from Ebay at a great price. Hooked it up to my Windows 10 PC via USB and it is SUPER LOUD! The volume slider in Windows doesnt seem to do much until I take it all the way down and only then it mutes the sound. I installed a windows driver from Denafrip's website and it has a volume section but the master volume is on 100% and greyed out.

I had a Schiit Modius DAC prior with no volume knob or anything on it and it was a reasonable volume. Usually set the windows volume to 15-25%. Watching YouTube videos i have to take the YouTube slider to just above 0 or the volume will blow my head off.

What is going on here? I've owned various DAC's and used them with my PC. None of them have done this.

 

[staticV3]

Every DAC with UAC2 hardware volume support has its own volume curve, which can also change depending on whether you use Microsoft's generic device driver or a custom driver.

E.g:


Additionally, if the DAC does not support hardware volume, then the curve will be different still as it'll be the one built into Windows.

That you cannot turn up your DAC means that your Amp has excessively high gain.

If it has multiple gains, choose a lower gain.

If the Amp has a volume knob, turn it down to compensate.

If the Amp has neither volume knob nor selectable gain, consider buying a preamp to put between the DAC and Amp.

Finally, if you're looking for a free solution, you can install Equalizer APO, enable a preamp at -30dB or so, and that'll free up the volume slider range.

 

[vlad335]

Thank you for all the tips! The Denafrips is going out of the XLR's to a studio subwoofer, then to Focal Solo6 monitors. The monitors do not have gain knobs. The sub does, but no control on what it sends to the monitors high pass.

Figured it out. Updated the firmware on the DAC to the latest that includes a digital volume control. Updating this DAC was somewhat complicated, and thank God I didn't brick it.

 

[vlad335]

Finally, if you're looking for a free solution, you can install Equalizer APO, enable a preamp at -30dB or so, and that'll free up the volume slider range.

Thank you! Thank you!

I forgot about this program. Installed it and set up a simple parametric EQ found on this thread.

Focal Solo6 Be: Spinorama and measurements

Knocking off my backlog of speaker measurements. Next up is the Focal Solo 6 Be: Imo, it's disappointing. The on-axis is jagged, but that's at least mostly within +/-2dB. The off-axis is a mess. Some of you know I really like almost all focal stuff, and I still appreciate the wider than...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Took an already great system up a couple notches! I want to sit here and listen to everything.

 

[IngMishael]

Thank you! Thank you!

I forgot about this program. Installed it and set up a simple parametric EQ found on this thread.

Focal Solo6 Be: Spinorama and measurements

Knocking off my backlog of speaker measurements. Next up is the Focal Solo 6 Be: Imo, it's disappointing. The on-axis is jagged, but that's at least mostly within +/-2dB. The off-axis is a mess. Some of you know I really like almost all focal stuff, and I still appreciate the wider than...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Took an already great system up a couple notches! I want to sit here and listen to everything.

Uhm you need to EQ your room's presentation. Right now you have EQd the speaker's anechoic tonal identity.

So you need a measurement mic to take data of how what you did to the speaker is presenting in room

 

[vlad335]

Uhm you need to EQ your room's presentation. Right now you have EQd the speaker's anechoic tonal identity.

So you need a measurement mic to take data of how what you did to the speaker is presenting in room

Yeah, I hear you. Have a UMIK-1 around here somewhere that I will need to learn to use, along with REW. That being said, with these about a foot and a half from my face noticed a definite improvement. All in for making this even better.