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Optimizing Digital Volume Control

Hi,

First I would like to state that I am relatively new to audiophilia (sounds like a disease), however I have a relatively good engineering background.

Presently I am using a traditional CD->DAC->pre->power->speakers setup. I am using a Hegel HD20 DAC that has a digital volume control feature. I recently noticed that without the pre (ARC LS2) in the chain, using the DAC for volume control, I get better results.

Since the DAC is 24b, having a -140db noise floor (close to 144db theoretical limit) this makes sense to me. Since a CD, having 16bit resolution, supports a theoretical maximum of 96db (practical implementation are below 90db). So s properly designed digital attenuation of over 50db (probably in this case over 60db) should not degrade the sound.

Now to my question, assuming a computer as the source, followed by a 24b DAC that doesn't support volume control, one can in theory achieve the same results if the computer converts the 16b original data to 24b and then apply digital volume control. In this case the computer should output a 24b signal to the DAC.

Does anyone know if this is something that a JRiver or Foobar solution is capable of doing? or in general, does anyone know how volume control would work using JRiver or Foobar?

Thank you in advance for your attention.
oferi

Showing 1 response by denon1

denon1
349 posts
 
This seem to be a popular topic nowadays since quality of DACs keeps getting better.
I can agree with Edorr and I can agree with Oferi. In my case and in my system where I run esoteric K-01 direct to Krell 302E, the use of ARC 5se did not bring the desired results to justify its price with extra ICs and power cord, the esoteric direct to amp sounded more refined with equally great dynamics and timbers. But I may agree that using ultra high end pre-amp ( tube or solid state) can result to the better sound. But in case of my system I will need to spend another $20K to achieve this. Instead, I can spent around $5k on a great ICs that will highly improve quality of the sound when running direct.
The important factor to the whole approach ( NO Pre-amp) is to have high quality DAC were its output impendence will match input impendence of the amplifier.
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