New DAC! Meitner MA3, Denafrips Terminator Plus, Holo May KTE, Mola Mola Tambaqui

I was hoping you could explain response from Mola Mola as it's over my head. I do, take from it, that changing Volume offset does lower the output voltage

@fastfreight 

I got my Tambaqui a few weeks ago.

I'm using with a Pass Labs INT 60

with 6V output I did, like you, get clipping on a few songs.

I ended up just going with 2V

From Mola Mola support:

There is dB’s and dBu’s. dB’s is relative to something, dBu’s is relative to an output voltage (0dBu is 0,775V). The volume control of the Tambaqui in dB’s is relative to the actual output voltage. So if you have set it to 6V, the volume in dB’s is relative to +18dBu. So 0dB volume is 18dBu.

If you have set it to 2V, 0dB is relative to 8dBu because 8dBu is the same as around 2V output.

This scale is logarithmic, so dependent on how much you would like to reduce it, is how much volume you need to lower it.

So for example if you want to output max 1V which is the same as 2dBu, you need to lower the volume by 16dB, if set to 6V. If set to 2V, you need to lower the volume by 6dB to output max 1V.

Ive experienced the distortion you refer to on 2 tracks @ 6V. When I change to 2V there is no longer distortion where there was.

Mola Mola support responds within 24 hrs if you needed more info.

Cool

Honestly I wish there wasn't a choice

I'm mildly obsessed about it.

I've made comparisons and although at the same volume setting on my pre 6v does sound better than 2v I f I turn up my pre volume at 2v I don't think I can appreciate a SQ difference.

I wonder if SQ difference just related to volume?

I asked MOLA MOLA what volume offset does:

The volume setting stays the same on all sources when changing presets. Sometimes you can experience 1 preset is louder or softer than the other so you have to change the volume each time.
With the volume offset you can match the volume on each particular preset to match the volume for each source.

And Volume offset works in direct mode and headphone mode as well.