Passive Volume Control for DACs/Sources

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Madaboutaudio, Dec 20, 2015.

  1. Ozarktom

    Ozarktom Nobsound Fever

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  2. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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  3. Psalmanazar

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  4. Ozarktom

    Ozarktom Nobsound Fever

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    No worries, I will put myself on ban. I came here to learn about passives. I am sorry I upset the apple cart.
     
  5. OJneg

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    I admire your moxy. Shitposting in the face of all odds.

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    I have a few ideas...

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  12. atomicbob

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  13. Thenewerguy009

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    Hope no one minds me asking, but what's wrong with just music player controlling the volume like foobar?

    I'm doing that now & it seems to be working fine.
    Adding any component, no matter how transparent, to the power amp would slightly alter the sound right?
     
  14. Collusion

    Collusion Friend

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    You are wasting bit depth. Depending on how compressed your music is and what is the original bit depth, you may or may not start hearing reduced dynamics and raised noise floor.

    If you want to visualise this, turn down the contrast setting on your monitor. Like the brightness setting this one too will lower the overall brightness, but now you will notice colors turning out to be less vibrant and closer to each other, like there is a gray mist over the picture.
     
  15. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    Either way things will not be fully transparent. SNR will decrease as the volume is decreased when using the pot or when using foobar.

    Again, and as mentioned before, make sure you are operating well with in the gain structure of your system.

    If you have no pot, but you have to reduce the volume with foobar quite a bit, you may indeed loose more bits that you want, and indeed you will pay an SNR penalty. If not, then life is good pot or no pot.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
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    If your playback program, daw, os, or drivers themselves crash and your DAC clips the input stage of your amp, which may or may not have adequate protection circuity, your tweeters can fry. Powered monitors usually have limiters that will engage should the signal or thermals get too hot.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
  17. Ozarktom

    Ozarktom Nobsound Fever

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  18. bilboda

    bilboda Florida boomer

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    And long may it last. I have that exact same one.. It is solid and built with skill. The weak parts are the switches.
    After several months, the selector switch stopped working. I purchased an inexpensive Elna switch from HFificollective to replace it.
    Soon after, the volume switch flaked out. These are not very robust parts.
    I have a Valab stepped attenuator, which I also use in the crack and like a lot, on hand to replace it.
    I purchased an extender to situate the switch and pot close to the rear to allow shorter wires.
    Someday soon, I'll put it all back together.
     
  19. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    Does Bespoke Audio Company from UK counts as a passive solution suitable for this thread?
     
  20. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    It's a passive TVC. So other than the white gloves and price, yes. Do you have one?
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2019

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