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+--- Thread: [SOLVED] USB DAC Issue or Install Issue? (/showthread.php?tid=3325)
RE: USB DAC Issue or Install Issue? - piface - 05-23-2021
(05-23-2021, 08:59 AM)jonners Wrote: Good to hear. Why software volume rather than hardware though?
Hi jonners, pardon the late reply; just finished our extended family's get together for eurovision. Somehow our voting never seems to match what happens in Europe. We thought that maybe Iceland, Lithuania or Israel might have got a look in. Maybe even crazy Germany; they were fun. But Italy? wow. Ah well, it'll be compulsive viewing again next year.
To your question: 'I don't know' is my answer. Does hardware volume do better things for audio quality? How do you have yours setup? And, which of the presets on the DAC do you have it set to? I've stuck with FL-1.
RE: USB DAC Issue or Install Issue? - TheOldPresbyope - 05-23-2021
@piface
If you are playing PCM-encoded streams then you may find no perceptible difference in audio quality between software and hardware volume control. I don't with my USB-driven Khadas Tone Board (aka Tone1), for example.
There are an uncountable number of opinionated posts, blogs, and articles about the subject, most talking authoritatively yet suspiciously devoid of facts. I remember reading a really good, fact-based presentation by ESS on the subject but I can't find the slides just now.
ETA: I still haven't found the ESS article but I found it is quoted extensively in https://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/SQ/VolumeControl.htm
With DSD-encoding, however, upstream software volume control cannot be used. Depending on the specific DAC board, it may or may not be possible to use hardware volume control. For example, it doesn't work for my Khadas Tone Board but it does work for Tim's Allo Rev even though both incorporate the same ESS DAC chip.
Regards,
Kent
RE: USB DAC Issue or Install Issue? - piface - 05-24-2021
(05-23-2021, 03:57 PM)TheOldPresbyope Wrote: @pifaceThank you Kent. That is helpful. I've found no audible difference to my ears, so I won't stress about it. I'll get back to enjoying the music now :-)
If you are playing PCM-encoded streams then you may find no perceptible difference in audio quality between software and hardware volume control. I don't with my USB-driven Khadas Tone Board (aka Tone1), for example.
There are an uncountable number of opinionated posts, blogs, and articles about the subject, most talking authoritatively yet suspiciously devoid of facts. I remember reading a really good, fact-based presentation by ESS on the subject but I can't find the slides just now.
ETA: I still haven't found the ESS article but I found it is quoted extensively in https://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/SQ/VolumeControl.htm
With DSD-encoding, however, upstream software volume control cannot be used. Depending on the specific DAC board, it may or may not be possible to use hardware volume control. For example, it doesn't work for my Khadas Tone Board but it does work for Tim's Allo Rev even though both incorporate the same ESS DAC chip.
Regards,
Kent
RE: USB DAC Issue or Install Issue? - jonners - 05-24-2021
@piface
Regarding the presets I've stayed with the default filter too as I can't hear any differences.