[yzriver]

I am using foobar play the music in FLAC or lossless format. Before the sound reaches the speakers, I can adjust the volume at three place. The foobar volume scroll bar, windows' volume contoller, and the volumer control potential meter of the amplifier.

My concern is if I adjust the volume from computer to low, for the detail part of the music, which has lower amplitude, because of the digital ouput (indicated in the picture), the DSP may not have enough resolution for the DAC in the next. If I push the volume high in computer, the sound output amplitude from DAC may hit the OPA to generate more distortion than low volume sound amplitude.

What do you guys think? what is the best tradeoff, or I am thinking to much.

 

[leeperry]

the master volume is always hardware accelerated, so leave foobar volume at max and use KS/ASIO/WASAPI to bypass any Windows resampling.

if you ouput from your soundcard/DAC in line out, you should leave it on 0dB....and use the speakers volume knob.

 

[matanoosh]

is there any particular reason you prefer to adjust the volume with the comp rather than with your preamp's volume knob?

 

[wekania]

I use Foobar2000 with ASIO and more recently the new version of the WASAPI driver for Vista. This setup seems better that iTunes on my system. Volume is controlled using the headphone amp. In fact, volume cannot be changed using the Windows volume mixer, as it is by-passed by the WASAPI driver.

 

[yzriver]

the rail of the OPA on sound card is +-5V. If the sound amplitude is +-2V viberating, the OPA may have more distortion than when the sound amplitude is low for examle +-1V.

If I put the full volume in foobar, I can adjust the volume in windows sound control, even I set ASIO output in foobar. Does ASIO bypass the windows decode? How does the computer change the volume, by give more "0" to DAC or change the bias of OPA?

Oh, I see a lot of THD testing of various soundcard. Many of them showed THD<0.01%. Is it tested under a full volume condition? If it is, I shoundn't worry about what I asked. Right?


Quote:

Originally Posted by matanoosh /img/forum/go_quote.gif is there any particular reason you prefer to adjust the volume with the comp rather than with your preamp's volume knob?

 

[krmathis]

Adjust the volume at the amplifier, leaving all upstream volume levels at 100%.
That keeps the volume as strong as possible through the chain, which helps preventing noise and other interference.

 

[milkweg]

According to Jan Meier reducing volume before the final amp stage when using SPDIF also reduces dynamic range so always adjust volume at the amp and all else at 100%.

 

[CDBacklash]

Turn down (or up from zero) as late as possible in the chain as possible (as long as no clipping occurs) so you have the best SNR

 

[Tritonpad]

Hello,

I use the asio plugin with a edirol FA-66 soundcard. If I set it on 192/24, the plugin won't work. On 44.1/24, it is ok. The question is (in fact I am asking for a confirmation...) : is it usefull to set the soundcard on 192/24 if almost all my sound files are 44.1 ??

 

[krmathis]

^ How is that related to adjusting the volume? Which this thread is all about...

 

[iriverdude]

I know you're supposed to set the output on the PC at maximum, and control it on your amp, but on the PC system I don't as I like using the computers slider on the keyboard, rather than the two individual volume controls (integrated + av amp) as I would have to balance the two everytime (I don't have left & right going through the av amp as that degrades sound quality)

 

[12345]

i'm not sure about this, but i've read that the best way is to have computer volume at 50% or 0db to reduce possiblities of distortion?

 

[Tritonpad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ How is that related to adjusting the volume? Which this thread is all about...

Because I use the Asio plugin in this purpose. But it does not work because of bitrate problems.

 

[dex85]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12345 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm not sure about this, but i've read that the best way is to have computer volume at 50% or 0db to reduce possiblities of distortion?

i've always thought that the 100% on pc soundcards stands for 0 dB.

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex85 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i've always thought that the 100% on pc soundcards stands for 0 dB.

Well, yes and no. The 100% should be preserved either way. Most OS and programs reduce the dynamic range to reduce the volume. I don't know about any other way, but there just might be one I have never heard about. You never know.

Whether your soundcard or DAC will output 0 dB depends on what you connect to it. Whether you are using a line-out or headphone out will matter as well.