I had a PS1 music YouTube vid going and found a better example what going back and forth over 12 'oclock on the knob sounds like. I recorded the vid here comin' out of my Buchardt's
This is a single tone but with me going back and forth over 12 'oclock at the moment where it jumps in db, or micro disconnects/reconnects/whatever is happening. To me it's a lot more jarring than if I was going back and forth over any other point in the knob (ie: between 9-10 for example), 12 o'clock just makes it most apparent where it's not a gradual increase/decrease it's actually more of a "jumpy/poppy" increase/decrease.
This hopefully gives a better example of the worst it can get with the speakers (Buchardt S300 MK II.. not overly sensitive.. somewhat harder to drive 4ohm).. When in headphones - either my Aeon 2 Noire planars, or the Audio Technica M40X's - you hear this kind of jumpiness/disconnect/reconnect even as you are nearing 12'oclock on the knob.
Unfortunately even when in passive mode whenever I do touch the knob it's usually to go either just to 12 or over.. so it's the one position I'm floating between the most so I notice it quite a bit whenever I go to adjust (sometimes I adjust just to feel the knob.. I'm weird like that)