Do Audiophiles usually keep the gain of the digital source at around 80%?


My setup is:

A8 Eversolor DAC and streamer

McIntosh C12000 preamp

REL sub 810

Focal Sopra n1 speakers. 

861 Moon amp

I keep my McIntosh preamp usually between 50-60% volume. Any higher would make the sound thin like.

For the Eversolo streamer (which I am enjoying quite a bit for the money), I keep between 75% -85% max gain. With older songs that are recorded at lower volume, I have it at 85%. But with songs that are recorded louders (mostly newer songs) it would cause some/slight clipping at that level so I to have lower the gain to about 75% max gain.  

I saw that there was a max volume throughput option on the Eversolo, but when I try that I can’t really get the system as loud as I want it without clipping and distortion setting in early. 

Is this normal for Audiophiles to keep the gain on the digital signal about 80%?

Wasn’t sure if this should go into digital forums or preamps since both are used here, so I posted here. 

 

dman777

Showing 3 responses by dman777

Wow, this is interesting. If I have the ever solo volume at 100%, I can only get my preamp at about 15% loud before I start getting what I feel is a tiny bit of distortion. Some other people might call it something else. But, it feels like it's at a level where if it goes any higher it would damage the speakers because the sound is too strong.

@foggyus91 

Hans touched on this 2 years ago.  And Here is the followup video

 

https://youtu.be/gXYCrvUPJY4?si=L7QByhXw-DGVIco6

https://youtu.be/yhwNiCt-Kiw?si=A_9yfYy01BqpVr_Q

 

I watch his videos, thanks. It seems to be that a -3db would be the way to avoid clipping. That's about 70% on the Eversolo volume I believe after asking Gemini AI.