Where should I adjust the volume?

[momo7G]

After reading heaps of reviews about dac/amp, the shopping bug finally bite me. I decided to spend some money for one, to seek for the box which let you hear god.

The box I bought was ifi nano iDSD BL.
This is the link for that%
https://ifi-audio.com/products/nano-idsd-bl/

I then try to use it with HD700.
Plug in, switch on, knob turn to about halfway. Although I cannot hear God, it is loud. So I instinctly fiddle the knob to lower the volume.

The knob seems too sensitive to the adjustment, either too loud or too quiet. Then I adjust the volume on my computer, btw, I listen through PC from Apple Music through iTunes. Somehow I read somewhere that I should keep it ar 100% to prevent bit lost from PC.

Back to the title, where should I adjust the volume??

 

[derp1n]

Making fine volume adjustments on your PC (in iTunes or the PC's master volume control) is fine. Enjoy and don't worry about it.

 

[momo7G]

Awesome, problem solved.

 

[amirm]

FYI I am going to research/measure various volume control options in a future article.

 

[momo7G]

That will be good, as the volume control is quite a topic too... Seems people (maybe including me) will pay good money for a volume knob.

 

[tinger]

re: IFI black label volume knob.
I was told by IFI to set the imatch underneath so the volume knob is @ 12 oclock or higher.

 

[Vincent Kars]

If you play a 16 bit file on a 16 bit DAC and reduce the volume by 48 dB you get something like
0000000011111111
You lose 8 bits resolution.
If you play 16 bit on a 24 bit DAC you get
000000001111111111111111
Theoretical you can chop of 8 bits on a 24 without losing resolution.
Practice is of course a bit different as no DAC can resolve the full 24 bits.

Anyway, modest digital volume control won’t hurt if you have a 24 or 32 bit DAC.

A simple experiment is to set the digital volume control to 100% (unity gain)
Play and lower the digital VC and increase the analog at the same time trying to maintain the same loudness.
You probably need a substantial reduction at the digital side before you will notice any audible degradation.

 

[rodrigaj]

I don't know about iFi but...
I keep my PS Audio DirectStream DAC at 100% and adjust volume with my W4S STP-SE preamp.

My philosophy is to keep the DAC at maximum resolution and adjust the volume level using the excellent VC of the preamp. I have a phono preamp connected to the preamp and since it only operates at 100%, I followed the same logic with the DAC.

 

[bennetng]

Members are encouraged to try my intersample clipping test in order to determine how to use the volume control.
https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...ation-audible-intersample-clipping-test.2231/
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/intersample-over-test.3730/post-89453

 

[momo7G]

@Vincent Kars
That's informative and I now put pc volume at 90, more room to play around with the physical knob. DJ feeling like

@bennetng
Little project for me this weekend with those signals