Coach_Kaarlo
Active Member
Gain setting question.
My digital source has -25 dB gain (meaning a reduction of 25dB to the digital signal sent to the DAC) to provide headroom for room EQ and parametric filters etc.
My downstream Benchmark DAC is set as per factory which presumably is on the 0dB jumper / pad.
My Benchmark AHB2's have to be set on the 14.2dBu / 4 Vrms to reach comfortable listening levels with the volume at 11 or 12 o'clock, and it is certainly impossible to drive the speakers to clipping as is suggested by the Benchmark manual/ application notes.
Setting the amps to 9.8Vrms makes the speaker output almost inaudible on most listening material unless the volume is adjusted to maximum.
Basically the DAC output level is reduced by 25dB so I need to add at least 15 to 20dB between the DAC2 and the speakers - just not sure what the best option is and looking for some guidance.
So, my question is which of the following gives me the least distortion and noise for the highest gain;
My digital source has -25 dB gain (meaning a reduction of 25dB to the digital signal sent to the DAC) to provide headroom for room EQ and parametric filters etc.
My downstream Benchmark DAC is set as per factory which presumably is on the 0dB jumper / pad.
My Benchmark AHB2's have to be set on the 14.2dBu / 4 Vrms to reach comfortable listening levels with the volume at 11 or 12 o'clock, and it is certainly impossible to drive the speakers to clipping as is suggested by the Benchmark manual/ application notes.
Setting the amps to 9.8Vrms makes the speaker output almost inaudible on most listening material unless the volume is adjusted to maximum.
Basically the DAC output level is reduced by 25dB so I need to add at least 15 to 20dB between the DAC2 and the speakers - just not sure what the best option is and looking for some guidance.
So, my question is which of the following gives me the least distortion and noise for the highest gain;
- if I set the DAC XLR pads to plus +10 dB (or can I do plus 20dB??)
- if I set the AHB2 to 2Vrms (max position increases everything - not just level)
- change my unbalanced RCA to RCA (DAC2 to AHB2) to a balanced XLR to RCA cable
- something else