Question about Gain, amp power and volume

Well, FWIW, 11 o'clock is more rotation than most folks can get under normal circumstances using speakers with your speakers sensitivity. Don't forget that your source's gain contributes to the gain from the pre-amp section of your intergrated. Nothing to fret about so long as you have good incremental control of volume (i.e. small steps).

Mike, Its not about the power output of your amp, its about the amps input sensitivity. An amp with a high input sensitivity, say .5v will present problems if you have highly sensitive speakers (the higher, the more problems, including hearing residual noise from the pre-amp - tube amps are especially sensitive to that). Amps with lower sensitivity, say 1.5v work better with pre amps and speakers with higher sensitivity. By using the in-line attenuators you have probably reached the same result as using an amp with lower input sensitivity. If you had a speaker with an 86db figure you would get several more clicks on your volume control. Its all about matching preamp output gain, amp input sensitivity, and speaker sensitivity. As to output from CDP's and DAC's they definitly differ, and greatly. I have a Cal Alpha that puts out 2x to 3x more gain than my BAT cdp, and a tuner that falls right in the middle. Some preamps have input gain controls to level the input of all sources, which is a nice, if not audiophile approved, convenience.

Ed's is on point - in fact some manufacturers will even admit to this, that the pre-amp sounds best with the volume between 10 & 2. Also the volume control on many pre amps is not linear, the gradiations being much smaller as you rotate the dial going from as much (or more) than 3dbs per click to 1db. Its much easier to fine tune such a volume control if the effect of the output seen by the amp can be reduced. Personally, I agree with Sean re attenuators except for those circumstances where the input sensitivity of the amp and the speakers is so high as to make the preamp residual noise too apparent. Its a matter of your priorities - which way to go. Best way is to think it out before you buy your stuff, however unlikely it is that this will happen.

Mkaes, If you want to get a new amp, get one! BUT revisit the issues I raised regarding input sensitivity. Its not about the amount of power - I have three amps in my house I currently use, all are tubes (not that it makes a big difference) a 120 watt unit, an 80 watt unit, and 160 watt mono's. In that order they have input sensitivity of .65v, .95v, and 1.5v. The 160 watt units allow the most use of the volume control and I can get it up to about 12 o'clock using my BAT before its too loud. The 120 watt amp is too loud when the volume control is 10:00 (about a 9db difference). The 80 watt amp is too loud at 11 o'clock. As you can see from this example the amount of power the amp can put out has nothing to do with your problem. And, a final comment - you do not want to use all of the power available in you amp by rotating you volume control to the max - you will drive it into clipping which may not be good for your speakers health. As Sean sez, you can't have too much power, its just how you use it.