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Team I am trying to understand or better yet fine tune my iCan to give me the optimal settings with my HE-400i. Can anybody give me some suggestions on how to operate the gain switches? 
Right now is at default. I listen to allot of EDM and Hip Hop.
Should I just leave it alone?
 
Thanks!

 

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BumP 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Team I am trying to understand or better yet fine tune my iCan to give me the optimal settings with my HE-400i. Can anybody give me some suggestions on how to operate the gain switches? 
Right now is at default. I listen to allot of EDM and Hip Hop.
Should I just leave it alone?

 
If you can get to the loudness level you want with a lot of travel left on the volume knob, or conversely you can move from zero to a comfortable level without getting blasted with loud sound, then yes, leave it alone.

 

[xcom]

   
If you can get to the loudness level you want with a lot of travel left on the volume knob, or conversely you can move from zero to a comfortable level without getting blasted with loud sound, then yes, leave it alone.

 
My iCan is connected to my iDSD. The iCan is all the way up, The iDSD controls the sound levels (I hope this is the correct way)... I can move the sound levels to comfortable levels and still have some travel left.
Which means, leave it alone?
 
Thanks for the help!

 

[theveterans]

   
My iCan is connected to my iDSD. The iCan is all the way up, The iDSD controls the sound levels (I hope this is the correct way)... I can move the sound levels to comfortable levels and still have some travel left.
Which means, leave it alone?
 
Thanks for the help!

 
I would leave a bit of headroom in the iCan since the distortion specs that is published are NOT at max volume, but at 1-2V rather. Usually max volume is more than 2V. I'd give it 3 notches below just to make sure you're not increasing distortion in your music.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
My iCan is connected to my iDSD. The iCan is all the way up, The iDSD controls the sound levels (I hope this is the correct way)... I can move the sound levels to comfortable levels and still have some travel left.
Which means, leave it alone?

 

If that's the Micro series iDSD check the manual on how to disable the preamplifier control to the RCA L+R outputs. Once done that spits out a fixed 2v output signal. I assume this is what's been connected to the iCan all along but if it isn't then connect the iDSD RCA L+R output to the iCan L+R input.

You shouldn't have volume control on the iDSD and now the iCan is getting a fixed 2v signal. If your listening range is generally with the knob anywhere between 9:00 and 2:00 on the dial, that's fine.

 

If you're using the Nano iDSD and the volume control on it works, with nothing in the manual to say you can disable that like the Micro series, I have no idea how to deal with that other than 1) set the iDSD to max or 2) get a different DAC.

 

[xcom]

 

 

If that's the Micro series iDSD check the manual on how to disable the preamplifier control to the RCA L+R outputs. Once done that spits out a fixed 2v output signal. I assume this is what's been connected to the iCan all along but if it isn't then connect the iDSD RCA L+R output to the iCan L+R input.

You shouldn't have volume control on the iDSD and now the iCan is getting a fixed 2v signal. If your listening range is generally with the knob anywhere between 9:00 and 2:00 on the dial, that's fine.

 

If you're using the Nano iDSD and the volume control on it works, with nothing in the manual to say you can disable that like the Micro series, I have no idea how to deal with that other than 1) set the iDSD to max or 2) get a different DAC.

 
@ProtegeManiac, I think I am starting to understand. I might have a bit of a problem than... I have a nano iDSD and a Schiit SYS in reverse mode. I use it to output between my Speakers and my Headphones. So in this case I cant disable the RCA preamplifier...  Thats correct though my listening volume is right around 9/2 
If thats the case my only option is to buy a new DAC?
 
Thanks again for the help!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

   
@ProtegeManiac, I think I am starting to understand. I might have a bit of a problem than... I have a nano iDSD and a Schiit SYS in reverse mode. I use it to output between my Speakers and my Headphones. So in this case I cant disable the RCA preamplifier...  Thats correct though my listening volume is right around 9/2 
If thats the case my only option is to buy a new DAC?

 

That's a totally complex system and the kind I try to avoid. Is the Sys set to full volume?

 

What I'd do if I'd revamp the system to just keep it all simpler with as much as possible only one volume control in the chain (apart from the gain control on studio monitors, or a volume control on the consumer counterparts) with the least possible change is just use the headphone output on the Nano iDSD.

 

If that's not enough to drive your headphones I'd just get rid of the iFi and the Sys altogether and get something like an AudioGD NFB-11.

 

[xcom]

 

 

That's a totally complex system and the kind I try to avoid. Is the Sys set to full volume?

 

What I'd do if I'd revamp the system to just keep it all simpler with as much as possible only one volume control in the chain (apart from the gain control on studio monitors, or a volume control on the consumer counterparts) with the least possible change is just use the headphone output on the Nano iDSD.

 

If that's not enough to drive your headphones I'd just get rid of the iFi and the Sys altogether and get something like an AudioGD NFB-11.

 
Yes the SYS is set to full volume.
 
Thanks for your help. I think I know which route I need to take (Eventually). Now I need to find a new DAC/AMP That works well with Linux.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Thanks for your help. I think I know which route I need to take (Eventually). Now I need to find a new DAC/AMP That works well with Linux.

 
AudioGD NFB-11. Last I checked they revised the firmware to improve Linux support, but double check anyway.

 

[xcom]

   
AudioGD NFB-11. Last I checked they revised the firmware to improve Linux support, but double check anyway.

Thanks!
 
I was also looking in too Schiit gear. Though I think I dont have to look elsewhere the AudioGD NFB-11 does everything I need! I just need to confirm with them that it does work with Linux.
 
..... What an expensive hobby! LOl 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
..... What an expensive hobby! LOl 

 

What hobby isn't?

In any case, you can still mitigate costs when the hobby 1) isn't about or stops being about collecting (since that entails spending on getting as many of what you want, plus proper storage, duplicates, etc), and 2) going with the simplest set up with the best possible balance. For example, look at my rigs:

Reference headphone rig: Note3, HD600 (with Brainwavz earpads and cheap custom cables), Meier Corda Cantate.2 (currently dead, but will get it repaired) and Pangea HP101 (backup desktop amp)

 

Back up hybrid amp until I get my high tech amp repaired. Active ground circuit has technicians confused out here but the problem could be the potentiometer.

 
Portable system : Note3 and ASG-1.3
 

 

I had the same approach with my camera system: X100, WCL-X100 (wide converter), Vanguard compact tripod, Meike MK320 speedlight, Hoya 49mm UV and CPL filters. Filters work on both the lens and conversion lens, camera has a built-in ND filter, all that plus my reference headphone rig can fit into one backpack larger than the messengers I normally have that also fit my laptop. That said, having only one cam means I don't really have a photo of the camera, and I've been too lazy to fix my smartphone on a proper tripod to take a long enough exposure properly.