[silvine67]

I've an audio engine D1 DAC and A2 speakers connected to my iMac. I also have a subwoofer. Each of these devices has its own separate volume control. What's the ideal way to set these controls ups? Should I max the volume control on the speakers and iTunes and then  use the DAC to increase and decrease the volume control as needed?
 
At the moment I have everything turned to 3 o'clock and I use the DAC to increase or decrease the volume. Things sound okay but I've noticed that the bass can overpower my set up sometimes. I listen to music while working on my machine.
 
Thanks.

 

[mtkversion]

If your subwoofer is overpowering the sound ... turn it down.
 
Other than that it sounds like you're doing everything right.
 
Keep iTunes volume at 100%, 'set' your speaker volume at a comfortable listening level then control the overall volume from the D1 knob.

 

[silvine67]

Great, thanks for that. Also what's a good crossover frequency for nearfield music listening?

 

[PleasantSounds]

The crossover frequency is best determined by the capabilities of your speakers, not the type of music you are listening to. Assume that your sub is happy to kick in in the entire range it offers, and set it to the frequency at which your front speakers start fading out.
 
BTW: the fact that the sub overpowers the sound as it gets louder is quite natural - this is a property of human hearing. Some systems try to compensate for that and provide a "contour" filter, which boosts highs and lows when the volume goes down. What I would do is balance the sub about the loudest level I commonly use.