2. misc-audio
  3. 131779-89202

Psychological effects of volume control

I just bought a new DAC and found the volume control on my preamp has to be boosted way beyond my normal settings in order for me to reach an acceptable level of sound.
Although there is no distortion or clipping in the amplifier, I somehow feel the sound is compromised even though objectively I know it is much better than before, as the DAC is far better quality than the old one. It’s just my reaction to boosting that volume control.
Does anyone else have this type of neurotic reaction to changes?
rvpiano

Showing 1 response by czarivey

czarivey
5,946 posts
 
mismatched component will not likely work in your setup so needs replacement.
you need to research input ranges of your amp and output ranges of DAC you're purchasing. i usually make sure that my source device is within middle of input ranges of my amp so it has headroom for quiet and loud music. not as complex as seems, but fairly simple.


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