Volume setting ?!

[Hairspray]

Hi everyone!
- I'm new to these forums (1st post)
- I'm pretty much a noob
- My english is at best average
- I have chosen to post here as this site is supposed to be less biased than other famous sites (sponsors, snobism, placebo bullcrap, etc.)

I just wanted to know what everyone's volume setting is: do you leave the volume all the way up on your phones amp and use the source's volume control (heaphone jack) or the other way round? Or something like 50/50?
Will the SQ quality be different? (convenience is not a factor).
This question is driving me nuts...
Thanks in advance!

If that matters, my setup is: rockboxed Clip Zip -> Fiio E6 -> Sennheiser HD-25 (and a Objective 2 amp + a AKG 702 are on their way )

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by Hairspray

If that matters, my setup is: rockboxed Clip Zip -> Fiio E6 -> Sennheiser HD-25 (and a Objective 2 amp + a AKG 702 are on their way )

Welcome to the forum!
If you're going to amp a rockboxed Zip, you want the Zip's volume at 0db.....then control your volume with the amp's volume control.

happy listening!

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by Hairspray

Hi everyone!

Hi back at ya and welcome to abi

Originally Posted by Hairspray

I just wanted to know what everyone's volume setting is: do you leave the volume all the way up on your phones amp and use the source's volume control (heaphone jack) or the other way round? ...

The other way around, I set the players volume to the amp at around 90 to 100 percent and use the amps potentiometer to control the volume.

Originally Posted by Hairspray

Will the SQ quality be different? ...

I've never tried the other way around, doesn't make sense to me but I doubt one could hear a difference, although it might mess with the signal but I don't know for sure. Also it's much easier to use the amps volume pots.

[eskimo4130]

I've been wondering this. On my amped home setup i go with amp at 50ish*(hard to say on an rPac), 50 on musicbee, then use the keyboard's volume i can't reach the dac. It's typically between 30/70.

Though my setup is simple. I would go 100 on all and then adjust the rPac if i could reach it.

And welcome. I'm new too.

[Hairspray]

Thanks for ur quick answers guyz, and welcome to you eskimo

So, in a way, are you suggesting it's better to use the DAP's internal amp to its full power and let the external amp just add a little power? Wouldn't you massively under-exploit it?

Which I find even more confusing is that the very respectable NwAwGuy states (on his blog) that you can turn the volume up to its maxixum on his O2 amp "and use the volume control on your source. [...] Used in this way, the input stage will never overload.The O2 will reach maximum output first."

Jeeez is that overwhelming...!
Hahaha...