Call for GS-1 owners with DACT
Mar 10, 2006 at 11:18 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20

Andrew_WOT

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Where are your gain settings set at and if you are getting any problems adjusting the volume?

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...hlight=stepped
Post#16 suggests to set Low gain to 1dB (unless I interpreted it wrong)

Does this approach have any drawbacks? Should the high gain remain where it is? Or should I just leave both, low and high, at defaults (9dB and 18dB).


Thanks.
 
Mar 12, 2006 at 5:45 PM Post #2 of 20
I need a little help on this.
Headamp is being built already and I need to provide Justin with my preferences for gain settings with DACT.

Thanks
 
Mar 12, 2006 at 10:31 PM Post #3 of 20
O gpalmer, where art thou?
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 11:58 AM Post #4 of 20
You know what I'll say. My Reference has no gain switch, uses a DACT and is set to unity gain 0dB. I listen between notch 9-11 most days. If I'm using the Senn 650 as a mini speaker, I crank to notch 16. With the Senn 650 on my head I've never gone above notch 13 meaning I still have the other half of the DACT available.
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 12:56 PM Post #5 of 20
The gain settings I liked with the DACT equipped v2-se I had were .... 1 for low gain and either 7.5 or 10 for the high gain setting. 9db and 18 db are much to high IMO. If you are going to use the amp as a preamp you will definitely have trouble unless you have the lowest possible gain. I had to go to a gain of 1 just to have any range on the volume control using the amp as a preamp.


Moreover, I also had trouble setting the volume as a headamp even with the gain switches. I couldnt get the volume control off the bottom of the range and the steps were just to large. To be honest .... I much prefer the normal volume pot with the Headamp amps I have owned. But, take into account, I am very sensitive to having exactly the right volume. If you need the volume at just the right level to be comfortable you will be frustrated by the DACT .... IMO. The slight improvement in sound quality is not worth the aggravation to me personally.
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 8:47 PM Post #6 of 20
I feel confused.
Earl, the setting you prefer, are they in x or in dB?
It has been just reported that GS-1 standard settings are: low gain: 4x (12dB); high gain (8.5x; 18.5dB).
Not 9dB and 18dB as mentioned in the linked thread above. What is the correlation between x and dB. And what is unity gain, 1x, 1dB....
confused.gif
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 9:52 PM Post #7 of 20
Actually Justin was kind enough to explain the difference between times (x) and dB.
Quote:

The high gain is 8.5x (18.5dB).
"Unity" gain is 0dB, or 1x.
8.5x is the number of times the voltage input level is multiplied to the
output. In dB, this is 20*log10(8.5) = 18.5dB.


Hope I don't bore everyone with the math.
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 10:04 PM Post #8 of 20
As a noob coming in from out of nowhere, I may very well being taking the GS-1 or possibly even the GS-X for a test spin in the near future.

I wasn't sure how I felt about a stepped attenuator, but after reading this thread, I feel less inclined to consider it.

Would I be mistaken?

You all better take this from the top and boil it down for us non sound engineering experts.
wink.gif
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 10:33 PM Post #9 of 20
Mar 13, 2006 at 11:11 PM Post #11 of 20
I really don't see much reason NOT to get an attenuator. Not once did I feel like I was unable to find the exact volume that I wanted. So while the advantages may be either minor or major, the disadvantages are none.

Shameless plug: see my IC for the GS1 w/ attenuator in the for sale forum.
biggrin.gif
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 11:15 PM Post #12 of 20
You only need to tell Justin the gain settings you want if you are getting the stepped attenuator right??
 
Mar 13, 2006 at 11:48 PM Post #13 of 20
Personally I pretty much side with Earl on this one. I usually like my low gain to be around unity (1X) for fine adjustment with cans like Grados with the high gain around 10x for Senns that require more power. As Earl mentioned, I would strongly suggest the 1X setting if you're going to use it as a preamp. I listen quietly but I find that the 1X gain is the one I almost always use and I'm probably not more than 40% up the range at most for my listening. Of course, there are times I'll blast things with the Senns and those times the 10X gain comes in handy because the 1X gain just isn't enough but for me that once every 6 months.
biggrin.gif
So far I have only once had a problem getting the volume of the headphones right where I want 'em and that was one track out of hundreds or thousands I've listened to.
 
Mar 14, 2006 at 12:33 AM Post #14 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by darkninja67
You only need to tell Justin the gain settings you want if you are getting the stepped attenuator right??


This is going to be an appallingly noob question but here goes:

How do I make an informed decision, when the time comes, in terms of suggesting where I want the gain setting to be? I certainly would feel easily inclined to defer to Justin's best judgement on anything like that, especially with his own products.

Advice? (Or I am just overthinking this thing after information overload from this thread and three lined ones?
wink.gif
)
 
Mar 14, 2006 at 4:53 PM Post #15 of 20
Quote:

Originally Posted by A.Thorsen
This is going to be an appallingly noob question but here goes:

How do I make an informed decision, when the time comes, in terms of suggesting where I want the gain setting to be? I certainly would feel easily inclined to defer to Justin's best judgement on anything like that, especially with his own products.

Advice? (Or I am just overthinking this thing after information overload from this thread and three lined ones?
wink.gif
)



Surely, I couldn't have thrown the experts this easily.
wink.gif
 

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