Volume TOO attenuated??

ewiles76 · 1903

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Offline ewiles76

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on: November 05, 2014, 07:01:07 AM
I just finished building my Crack with Speedball and it worked perfect on first power-up! However, I am typically having to keep the volume knob at about 60-70% for "normal" volume levels. I have also set the pre-out from my PC at 100%. I am using an Emotive XDA-2 DAC, and Sennheiser HD650 phones. Is this normal for this setup? I saw others having the opposite problem - needing more attenuation. I seem to need to need less.


Offline Grainger49

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Reply #1 on: November 05, 2014, 08:05:30 AM
60-70% is just fine! 

If you reach 100% and it is not a satisfying volume then you have a problem.  I run my preamp at the volume you describe all the time.


Offline ewiles76

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Reply #2 on: November 05, 2014, 08:43:27 AM
Well that's the thing. I can crank it to 100% and it's definitely loud, but tolerable.


Offline fullheadofnothing

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Reply #3 on: November 05, 2014, 08:59:31 AM
Well, I'm not sure why you want intolerable levels, but the issue will be that your DAC has a nominal output of 1V with a "full scale digital signal." Assuming your files are full scale, that is still half of line level. So yeah, a little quiet, but probably serviceable 99% of the time, especially if you have average-to-good hearing and are looking to keep it that way.

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Offline Horatio

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Reply #4 on: November 05, 2014, 11:53:00 AM
Speaking as someone with HD 650's who's DAC pumps out 2V I am on the flip side of the same coin, but provided you are getting 'enough' volume I wouldn't be too worried about it. In my case the volume at 25% is easily loud enough and I have never had it over 50%.

You actually have far greater range / flexibility of adjustment than I have.  In many regards that is likely a good trade off and a better position overall.

Bill
« Last Edit: November 05, 2014, 11:55:33 AM by Horatio »


Offline Lar

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Reply #5 on: November 05, 2014, 04:58:56 PM
I`m using the Emotiva XDA - 1 with my Squeezebox Touch and the HD - 600 I can barley go past the 12 o`clock on my Crack without blowing my ear drums out. Squeezebox volume maxed out as well as XDA - 1.

Larry V

Offline mcandmar

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Reply #6 on: November 05, 2014, 05:09:52 PM
Just reading the Emotive manual (got curious). Claims the volume control sets the line out level, but when you plug in headphones the volume control adjusts the headphone output independently of the line out.  Basically, set the volume on the Emotiva to 100% when using the crack, and make sure the volume in Windows (or Mac) is also set to 100%.

M.McCandless

Offline ewiles76

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Reply #7 on: November 06, 2014, 07:53:56 AM
You guys are fantastic!! It was indeed the volume control on the XDA-2. I've never had to mess with it using the headphone jack because I have always used volume control on the PC itself. One of the quirks of this DAC is that volume steps are SUPER small. So when I was adjusting it's volume it didn't seem to be doing anything. I have it set to a nice level and now I can really crank the Crack up. Wish you could see the grin on my face right now! I am hearing things in my music that I've never heard before! Brilliant!


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