Is anyone else experiencing issues with Windows volume control with this DAC? I can't change the output volume. Is my only answer a passive preamp between this and my Liquid Carbon?
GnomrisTo my knowledge, adjusting PCM or DSD output above or below 100% with software degrades the audio signal, bits become changed or lost. It is my understanding the DAC is enforcing this with Windows to maintain digital signal quality, and that volume should only be changed via "analog" e.g. headphone volume knob, amplifier volume knob, powered speaker volume knob, etc. But, if convenience is the preference over signal, you can still change the volume in each application's own independent volume controls.
LoogsThanks for the response. I understand the potential for sound degradation though I've found it impossible to discern. It would make sense if this is the intended functionality. Any thoughts on something like the schiit sys or nano patch+ compared to in application control?
GnomrisIf you're looking for a super cheap but functional passive pre-amp, check out the Little Bear MC2. It eats and poops XLR and RCA, and has switches to select input and output types independently. It is how I feed the RCA to my Little Dot 1+ which requires some PADDING when coming from XLR. I mean, yeah I could use the mixer to drop the levels, but it is also how I gave myself a nice little volume knob for my LSR30x.