[vanwil]

Hi everyone
So I'm usign an Audio-GD dac as part of my rig. It is connected via USB to my sound card and, as expected, I cannot change the volume of what is playing from Window's volume button in the system tray.
What I don't understand is why I can do this from various flash players: youtube, soundcloud, itunes etc.
If it all goes digital out of the sound card and into the dac, why is it possible to adjust the volume from say iTunes's volume button?

 

[bustersgotavmax]

With an external DAC,it is best to use the volume on the unit and leave the players volume at full.Also the external DACshould be bypassing your soundcard as the DAC is an external soundcard.

 

[hodgjy]

+1
Quote:

With an external DAC,it is best to use the volume on the unit and leave the players volume at full.Also the external DACshould be bypassing your soundcard as the DAC is an external soundcard.

 

[vanwil]

The only connection between the dac and the computer is via USB. So how come I can adjust the volume from the flash players?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

The only connection between the dac and the computer is via USB. So how come I can adjust the volume from the flash players?

 
Just in case you might want a general answer before someone with more technical know-how chimes in - that's because volume can be digitally altered,* so basically you are altering the signal as recorded (same thing if you set VLC Media Player beyond 100% as it goes up to 200% to boost too quiet video). You are basically altering the data that will be interpreted by the DAC, whatever cable/digital protocol it goes out through. While EQ basically takes place at the same stage, which is digital, EQ tries to smooth out the response, so it's a compromise. Volume control at the digital stage, AFAIK, limits the "bits" on the recording, instead of applying a potentiometer to the analog signal primarily to match the rest of the equipment (the sensitivity of the headphone/speaker, the power and gain of the amplifier after the preamp, etc) as your listening preference requires.
 
 
*Note - do not confuse this with a digital potentiometer, which still affects the analog signal