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Do Audiophiles usually keep the gain of the digital source at around 80%?

My setup is:

A8 Eversolor DAC and streamer

McIntosh C12000 preamp

REL sub 810

Focal Sopra n1 speakers. 

861 Moon amp

I keep my McIntosh preamp usually between 50-60% volume. Any higher would make the sound thin like.

For the Eversolo streamer (which I am enjoying quite a bit for the money), I keep between 75% -85% max gain. With older songs that are recorded at lower volume, I have it at 85%. But with songs that are recorded louders (mostly newer songs) it would cause some/slight clipping at that level so I to have lower the gain to about 75% max gain.  

I saw that there was a max volume throughput option on the Eversolo, but when I try that I can’t really get the system as loud as I want it without clipping and distortion setting in early. 

Is this normal for Audiophiles to keep the gain on the digital signal about 80%?

Wasn’t sure if this should go into digital forums or preamps since both are used here, so I posted here. 

 

dman777
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,465 posts
 

100% digital outputs goes to my preamp (ARC DAC... see my virtual system). It is best to have no attenuation in the digital domain if it is an option with your DAC. Then my preamp operates between 20 and 30% max.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,670 posts
 

100 %

Recommended by Qobuz.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,670 posts
 

I meant Innuos.

gkelly's avatar
gkelly
1,038 posts
 

Have you tried bypassing the McIntosh and use the a8 As the preamp. 

devinplombier
1,672 posts
 

+1 for 100%

Only digital components meant to drive a power amp directly (no preamp needed) have a volume control.

In most cases that digital volume control is cheap trash. The more you turn it down the worse it sounds, hence the advice to keep it at full volume all the time so it’s essentially not being used (remember these are attenuators, so the more they attenuate the sound the more impact on sound quality they have).

The downside of keeping the VC at 100% when you do use a pre is that these components have a LOT of gain because, well, they’re designed to work without a pre! So, as you’ve observed, you need to turn your pre’s volume way down compared to other sources.

If you’re going to use a good pre, which is highly recommended, then you’re going to control volume at the pre, so that upstream VCs are not needed; so, digital components that have one should be avoided.

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