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What volume level should a DAC be set to when feeding your Pre Amp

G'day All

I have an Accuphase DAC (DC-901) with a digital volume control that feeds my Pre Amp/Accuphase integrated Amp.  The DAC is fed via USB. It reports its volume level in db and altering the volume on the DAC impacts the volume level coming out of my Integrated.  I currently have the DAC set at 0.0db. This DAC level is purely a guess on my part not really understanding the technicalities of it all.  I'd like to understand better the implications of this DAC volume setting on my overall listening experience and whether or not the setting I have in place currently is correct.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers
plb02

Showing 4 responses by georgehifi

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
plb02 OP

It seems like your on a winner, it looks from other posts you have the Accuphase E470 integrated, it has poweramp inputs at 1.5v in for full wattage output on the back so you can forget about the preamp section, for the best most transparent/dynamic sound I would feed your dacs output which has up to 2.5v output direct into these poweramp inputs and just use the dac’s volume control.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I’ll have a listen to the DAC to Power (bypassing the E-470’s pre) and see what this turns up.
I’m sure you’ll be surprised, it’s a better even more transparent/dynamic configuration that what Nelson Pass said above that I posted.

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I may be mistaken but figured this was working the Amp harder.
No the same, just letting the same amount of input signal through the volume pot to the power amp section, instead of shunting it to ground when the dac's vc is higher.

Cheers George 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
What volume level should a DAC be set to when feeding your Pre Amp
I have an Accuphase DAC (DC-901) with a digital volume control that feeds my Pre Amp/Accuphase integrated Amp.

Dacs volume up close to full, or you can run the risk of "bit stripping" if too low (below 75%), an can cause resolution reduction 14bit 12bit and so on the lower you go.

If then with the dacs volume up close to full, if you are below 10am on your preamp volume because it’s too loud, then think about a passive preamp or active preamp little or unity gain.


Quote from Nelson Pass

Nelson Pass,

"We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.

Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.

Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.

What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.

And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp."


Cheers George
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