[rlw6534]

My video editing skills aren’t a showcase, but you can see here there are multiple steps in the volume control before it gets to my normal listening level. You can just about hear it, but that is a comfortable listening volume when worn.

I also tried it in my MacBook and the comfortable listening volume through Roon is 23/100, with system volume at about 30%.

On my work Dell Laptop, it’s noticeably louder, and I can see where people experience volume issues, albeit still perfectly controllable and way above 1-2% volume.

So, I don’t know what the issue is.

Very odd.

Are all of your results using Roon? How do you have the DFC configured (exclusive, volume control, etc.)? Obviously you can use DSP volume control to lower the volume (i.e. double volume control) but you are throwing away bits to do so and defeating the bit-perfect volume feature of the DFC.

 

[beanoir78]

Very odd.

Are all of your results using Roon? How do you have the DFC configured (exclusive, volume control, etc.)? Obviously you can use DSP volume control to lower the volume (i.e. double volume control) but you are throwing away bits to do so and defeating the bit-perfect volume feature of the DFC.

There’s no way to configure the DFC on an iPhone, literally just plugged in as it was from the box (brand new).

I use Roon, Roon ARC and Tidal and watching TV shows on Sky Go, YouTube. It works the same on all of these apps from a sound volume point of view.

Roon and Roon ARC, the volume is set to use the device volume, not DSP volume (I do on all of my endpoints apart from a couple of Sonos speakers). I have Roon DSP disabled for my phone, and when using the new Roon ARC app the volume is fixed to the device volume and doesn't use the DSP either.

When using the DFC with Roon on iPhone, it prevents the iPhone converting the sample rate to 48kHz and

Tidal

Roon

 

[rlw6534]

There’s no way to configure the DFC on an iPhone, literally just plugged in as it was from the box (brand new).

I use Roon, Roon ARC and Tidal and watching TV shows on Sky Go, YouTube. It works the same on all of these apps from a sound volume point of view.

Roon and Roon ARC, the volume is set to use the device volume, not DSP volume (I do on all of my endpoints apart from a couple of Sonos speakers). I have Roon DSP disabled for my phone, and when using the new Roon ARC app the volume is fixed to the device volume and doesn't use the DSP either.

When using the DFC with Roon on iPhone, it prevents the iPhone converting the sample rate to 48kHz and

Tidal


Roon

Yeah, that's the same setup that I have. It's not as bad on the iPhone X as on my MacBook Pro but still very coarse on volume adjustments. It's strange that we get different results. Makes me wonder if the DFC has changed over time as this was a common complaint. I bought mine in 2019.

 

[beanoir78]

Yeah, that's the same setup that I have. It's not as bad on the iPhone X as on my MacBook Pro but still very coarse on volume adjustments. It's strange that we get different results. Makes me wonder if the DFC has changed over time as this was a common complaint. I bought mine in 2019.

Could be, I bought mine Feb 2021.

Which lightning adaptor do you use?

 

[rlw6534]

Could be, I bought mine Feb 2021.

Which lightning adaptor do you use?

I have both of the genuine Apple ones. Same results with either.

 

[beanoir78]

I have both of the genuine Apple ones. Same results with either.

Well, like you say, it’s very odd.

But, based on my experience of the DFC, I’m totally pleased with it as pocket sized DAC with my 846 - I guess I’m just lucky or perhaps the later model was configured slightly differently..

 

[rlw6534]

Well, like you say, it’s very odd.

But, based on my experience of the DFC, I’m totally pleased with it as pocket sized DAC with my 846 - I guess I’m just lucky or perhaps the later model was configured slightly differently..

This was the part that confused me about volume control on your MacBook. It sounds like you are using system audio rather that the exclusive path to the DFC (for which system volume has no effect, only Roon volume does):

"I also tried it in my MacBook and the comfortable listening volume through Roon is 23/100, with system volume at about 30%."

My setup:

 

[beanoir78]

To be honest, I very rarely, if ever listen to music on my laptop, so I forgot it was configured as such.

It is set up exactly the same as yours, so using the device volume.

 

[rlw6534]

To be honest, I very rarely, if ever listen to music on my laptop, so I forgot it was configured as such.

It is set up exactly the same as yours, so using the device volume.

So much for figuring out the differences...

 

[beanoir78]

So much for figuring out the differences...

Ha! I think, given I don’t have the issues on either of my iPhone or MacBook, but you seem to, then surely it has to be down to the device itself?

Ideally the best way would be to test the 2 devices side by side. I’m surprised it hasn’t been done, if it transpired there were differences I’d be on to Audioquest

 

[rlw6534]

Ha! I think, given I don’t have the issues on either of my iPhone or MacBook, but you seem to, then surely it has to be down to the device itself?

Ideally the best way would be to test the 2 devices side by side. I’m surprised it hasn’t been done, if it transpired there were differences I’d be on to Audioquest

It's mostly a problem with the SE846/Cobalt pairing. It's not really an issue with my other IEMs which are not as sensitive. It's a pretty common complaint so I doubt anything is wrong. Maybe just differences in our hearing, listening levels or device to device variability.

 

[jjazzy]

So this is confusing, regarding the DF cobalt

 

[beanoir78]

So this is confusing, regarding the DF cobalt

Yup, a day of experiments and still no real conclusion. I would probably try one out if you possibly can before buying, or buy from Amazon so you send it back.

Are you bothered about portability or size?

 

[darveniza]

Going back to the basis of this Thread but Gen 2

 

[Slim1970]

Maybe I missed it somewhere, but what are some of the key differences between gen 1 and gen 2 of the SE846?