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[chrisc]

A DAC is connected directly to a power amplifier.  The DAC itself has no controls, bar the input selection

When playing 16 or 24 bit files, the volume is adjustable via the slider, and also on the JRemote app.

However, when playing a Bitstream recording (a DSD file) the volume adjustment disappears and full output is sent to the amp

Is there a work-around to resolve this please?

It makes no difference whether Internal Volume, System Volume or Application volume is selected

Thanks

[tyler69]

bitstreaming implies that no changes are being made to the bits (e.g. no volume changes, no other dsp). However, you can try to click "Enable Volume When Bitstreaming" that is available on the gui behind the loudspeaker (left to the volume slider) in mc.

[chrisc]

Thank you

Yes, I had seen this option and enabled it, under Player/Volume

Choosing Application Volume causes the slider to have no effect
Choosing Internal Volume causes the slider to have no effect
Choosing System Volume causes the slider to get full volume when pushed to the extreme right.  Any movement to the left and the sound disappears entirely (full at 100%, 98%, 97% and silent at 96%)

[blgentry]

MC does not have the ability to do any operations on DSD containers as native DSD.  MC can transmit native DSD or DSD as DoP.  Both of these techniques just send the DSD data down the line to the DAC and let the DAC do the DSD to analog decoding.  If the DAC has a volume control, then that volume control can be used.  Obviously a preamp can be used also, which I'm sure you know and you are probably avoiding on purpose to try to get a more "pure" signal path.

If MC is told to do any alterations on DSD, including volume, it can do them, but MC must first convert the DSD to PCM.  Then any DSP (including volume) can be applied in the PCM domain.  MC can also convert the resulting bits back to DSD if you want.  But the "pureness" of the DSD is entirely lost, as it goes DSD > PCM > DSP processing > DSD .

You could turn all of this on by disabling bitstreaming, and then enabling Output Encoding as DSD.  Note that this will convert ALL PCM to DSD on output.

I don't think this is terribly useful, but maybe you like the idea and/or want to play around with it.

Brian.

[dtc]

Changing the volume of a PCM file is very easy, a simple division. With the DSD format there is no simple way to change the volume. It has to be done by the DAC usually on the analog signal. There is nothing MC can do about this without changing the DSD to PCM. It is one of the limitations of DSD.

[chrisc]

Thanks, some enlightening information, and fast!

[DJLegba]

What DAC are you using? Check your DAC manufacturer's download page for MC plug-ins.

[tyler69]

Are there any other manufacturers than exasound that offer a plugin?

[DJLegba]

Are there any other manufacturers than exasound that offer a plugin?

I don't know. I have an Exasound DAC.