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Changing volume on computer or amplifier?

post #1 of 5
5/28/11 at 10:42am
Thread Starter 

To achieve the best sound quality, is it better to change the volume on my computer and keep my amplifier at max output or is it better to change the volume on my amplifier and keep the computer volume high? I assume that maximizing the volume of the headphone amplifier is better than maximizing the volume of the computer because the amp on my laptop from an integrated soundcard is probably worse than my dedicated headphone amp. Is my logic incorrect?

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post #2 of 5
5/28/11 at 10:55am

You should not be double amping. Output the sound through either an optical cable or usb cable to the DAC then to amplifier. If it's a DAC/AMP, still use the usb or optical cable. Computer volume should be on maximum.

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post #3 of 5
5/28/11 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 

I'm sorry, I'm pretty new to this stuff, so excuse my ignorance. So what I have right now is a Macbook Pro (with its integrated soundcard). I purchased a cmoy headphone amp and then I have my headphones. I have a cable running from the headphone jack/audio output of my Macbook Pro to the cmoy headphone amplifier. Then I have my headphones plugged in into to the amp. 

 

If I am not mistaken, isn't the DAC built into the soundcard? Also, if my computer volume is on maximum, I'd have to set the amp's volume to very little. Would that minimize the use of the amp in the first place, since most of the amplification "work" is being done by the computer? I'm obviously wrong with my logic here, but why is that?

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post #4 of 5
5/28/11 at 2:02pm

If you are using the analog headphone out of the Mac (it also doubles as a optical out) the DA conversion is done on the Mac.

You have 3 options, use the digital volume control of the Mac ,  the analog of the amp or both.

Simply fool around a little and check what gives you best sound quality

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post #5 of 5
5/28/11 at 3:24pm

The problem is that the amp is expecting line level audio. You are supplying a signal that is already amplified - hence the double amping that wind016 is referring to. Ideally, you should either use the optical out (requires an adapter on MacBook Pro), USB or Firewire to an external DAC, and then have the DAC feed the amp.

 

What kind of computer/sound card are you using? Does it have a line level output?


Edited by MtnSloth - 5/28/11 at 3:25pm
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