So maybe the better solution is to crank the preamp volume to max (+12dB) and thereafter adjust the volume on the DS rather than the opposite?
As long as that doesnāt mean that the DSās volume ends up in, say, the 40ās.
Assuming nothing is perfect itās hard to guess ahead of time which is imperfecter 
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No chance for 40 with the low output levels of the DS.
I am close to 100 on several occasions.
The output level of the DS XLR output (without the -20dB attenuator engaged) is one of my bigger concernsā¦
About lowering the noise level, does Snowmass lowers the noise even more compared with Redcloud?
After I followed your advice, Att Off on DSj and volume set at 80, I set the integrated volume at 9 oāclock. Nice SPL for my taste for normal day listening.
Double checking the noise that came out from the tweeter, just noticed it about 40cm away from the speakers, therefore harmless.
This is a D) scenario, and a pretty good one!
No issue with dynamics (even if it was just in my head) with Att off, noise controlled with integrated volume fixed at 9 oāclock, and then making all the volume adjustments in DSj volume.
Now, late night here in Europe, listening at 50-55. Day, it will be around 80 precisely, and with a little enthusiasm 90 or 95. I just have to test if the 100 is enough for classical music. But, even if I conclude isnāt enough, I always can set the integrated volume, say, to 10 oāclock (adding a little more noise to the mix), just testingā¦
Many thanks @tedsmith .
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Interesting thread.
Iām using xlr from the DS to the BHK Pre. Keep in mind using the balanced XLR provides more output than RCA. IIRC 3db.
Itās still early, but the Snowmass and Bridge updates have changed things, and now Iām not sure. Either way the sound is superb.
I am resurrecting the thread I supposeā¦just to give my two cents.
I have played back and forth for a couple days, A/B - ing, different volume configs and for me I find attenuator OFF, pre at 12 gives me the best all around sound.
I am using DS SR, quicksilver AT7 Line-stage (18db) and Quicksilver mid-monoblocks w/ KT88ās (60wpc).
Three weeks laterā¦My daughter convinced me to re-experiment [which tells me she has been experimenting without me 
] so we did together.
At this point Att Off, which I always thought had more energy and depth now sounds harsh and the right and left sides too forward, creating a concave sound stageā¦weird. So we stuck with Att on.
As we raised the pre- from 12 oclock to 3oclock the sound stage kept getting bigger and bigger, but once we passed 3 oclock we started getting compression.
Getting back to 12 oclock we noiticed more texture although a smaller sound. We went down further to 11 oclock and very very nice. Texture of stringsā¦even noticed that a single violin phrase was actually two separate violinsā¦NICEā¦
So My daughter wants 3oclock but Im sticking at 11oclock. She can do what she wants when she is not supposed to be using it unsupervisedā¦Im just happy she may become afflicted like us .
Obviously her ears are much younger than mine and maybe thats part of this result.
As has been said before every system and every ear can be different. We all have to find our spot and stick to itā¦until we change it.
T
Older thread but wanted to check in again on best starting approach on volume/attenuator setup on DS JR. I currently have set to 98 and use my Ayre integrated to increase volume.
Recommendation as starting place for volume and attenuator? Sorry I know answer could be try them all - but I am used to old DLIII where volume was fixed from DAC. Thanks again for thoughtful feedback and advise.
92 on the Sr, 84 on the Jr.
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Is the 84 recommended on DS JR to reduce noise floor? Obviously will increase volume on integrated then. Thanks! 