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

@richardbrand

ReplayGain in Eversolo, WiiM or other streamers is commonly implemented via metadata (i.e., data about the audio data), not through destructive or lossy digital processing. It works by analyzing the audio file and storing the recommended gain and peak levels as metadata tags. A compatible player then reads this metadata and adjusts the playback volume accordingly. The original audio data remains intact.

@drmuso , CD standard calls for 2 V ouput from RCA, HDCD standard calls for 2.2 V output from RCA. Balanced XLR ouput doubles that. Depending on the DAC's bit count,voltage and impedance outputs, included volume control, available switching capabilities, and the amplifiers input impedance and input sensitivity (for which there doesn't seem to have followed standards) one might be able to forgo the line stage of a preamp.

@devin666 

Care to offer a texhnical explanation? Is the pre inventing stuff that wasn’t transferred from the DAC? My argument is based on the fact that at a given output voltage and impedance of the DAC all you need is an attenuator. Any additional circuit will by definition add distortion or additional noise components.

... This not correct. The Eversolo doesn’t really have a preamp function, it only has digital volume control, you need analog volume control in order to be considered a preamp, and even then it would only be a passive device. You absolutely need to run the Eversolo at 100% with pass through volume control to extract maximum sound quality. 

This is absolutely incorrect statements.  A lot of misinformation floating here and people need to do their homework before writing...

The DMP-A8 has a fully balanced analog preamplifier section complete with R2R volume control and a pair each of RCA and XLR inputs. That makes it a more complete no-compromise integrated solution in which users just add power amp or active speakers and control everything from the Eversolo itself, with no outboard preamplifier needed. 

In addition, more and more players like Wiim Ultra use 32 bit for digital volume control.  Unless you attenuate volume more than, say, 50dB, you are free of negative consequence of bit-depth truncation for high-rez music listening.  There are more than enough headroom to control volume digitally with no audible degradation even down to very low levels.

There are two things here. 

1. DACs capable of directly driving power amps obviously incorporate some kind of line stage (preamp) circuitry, allowing them to output the voltage required to do so. Without it, they wouldn't be able to drive a power amp any more than a turntable or a CD player can.

Obviously, the quality of that preamp section will vary from one DAC to another.

2. The position that preamps are obsolete and do nothing other than creating distortions is commonly shared amongst SINAD fanboys on ASR.

Audiophiles, however, almost universally agree that a high-end pre is an indispensable part of a well-thought out system.

If my limited experience in the matter is worth anything, I drove my monoblock amps with a DAC for several weeks while I was refurbishing my Krell pre. When the pre was returned to service, and the DAC moved behind it where it belongs, the sound quality improvement was very much significant.

I'm in the camp of those who believe that a great pre is a necessity. I also believe that a system's sound signature should be determined by the pre + amps + speakers system core, and that digital sources have no role to play in it. Just be neutral. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen.