Directstream DAC MK 1 - Best volume setting?

[mr-ryan-eickmeyer]

@tedsmith

Thought I remember hearing Ted say awhile back that the Directstream DAC MK 1 had a butter zone volume setting - is that correct/still true?

I’m using the latest firmware, ‘Sunlight’.

[straightwire]

I believe the setting that is optimum for the MK1, according to Ted, is 92. I could be wrong, and your preamp, your lack of one, or your taste, can affect the outcome. Experiment and go with what you like.

[mr-ryan-eickmeyer]

Thanks! I had it at 95 so I thought it was somewhere around there.

[tedsmith]

It also depends on the overall loudness of what you listen to. If your music never gets within 3dB of max then a setting of 100 is fine. Of course, as straightwire said your taste in your system is the ultimate arbiter.

[macrotrust]

anybody can advise i have volume switch
oscillation to and fro not able to move the volume up- it keep hanging there how to fix it.

[emailists]

100 always sounded best to me.

[frank7036]

Hi Macrotrust,
Is the DAC switched to variable or fixed volume?
If it says Fixed Volume at the bottom the screen you shouldn’t be able to change it with the DAC volume button on the silver remote.
If it is on Variable volume you can change the volume on the remote (or the screen). The DAC will revert to a low volume on start up/power up in this setting.
I’ve never experienced oscillation of the volume from the DAC when it’s playing, whichever mode it is in - sorry.

[macrotrust]

Hi Frank,
Thank for the reply. Usually we start and follow by initiation and then come to volume fixed and then we increase the volume say 95 or 100 level. It is not able to move higher up.

it is stuck at say 28-29 level -it keeps osciliating between 28-29 to and fro. that is the problem

[vkennedy61]

Ninety-two. You will find one zillion posts if you search for “volume 92” or “level 92”.

Understanding DS level 92 vs. 100

In the thread about modding the DS, Ted has posted about using a volume level of 92 as optimum. (The DS II won’t have the same issue). The funny thing is before reading any of this I felt if I had to lower the DS from 100, where I where I normally play it, 92 seemed to sound better than other levels. I really thought it was my imagination, as how could 92 be the magic volume number, but perhaps I’m not as deluded as I thought I was. In recently playing with 92 vs. 100, I still feel like 10…

Or you could read a post from the DAC Master himself:

Sunlight: Sound Impressions

In Redclound I added some code to help with lower level detail. The problem was that things would go south when the volume got too high. So when the volume of the music after the volume control got too high I disabled the new code and then you were essentially running Huron. (When thing quieted down it went back to the new code in Redcloud.) That change happened at about volume of 84. The Windom release used some features of the DS Sr hardware that among other things increased that number …

It’s up to @Elk if we need another topic on this subject.

[Elk]

Thank you, @vkennedy61 very helpful.