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[tvr2500m]

Hi,

I have a Meridian Explorer 2 headphone amp/DAC I'm using with JRiver MC25. I'm trying to sort out which volume control setting to use with the Explorer2. It doesn't have an external volume control, but it's own internal volume control. Reading through the descriptions of the various JRiver MC 25 volume control options, I thought that using the "Internal" volume control setting might be the clearest, clean option. But, gain adjustment is a bit "weird" and the Explorer2 never indicates an MQA file playing (green or blue light on the device body) when an MQA file is playing.

Using "System" volume everything works as expected. This is good, but I'm apparently not entirely understanding the function/use of the MC25 volume control options, and I would like to.

Any insights here would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[wer]

How do you have the DAC connected to the PC?

Are you saying that, when using system volume, the MQA light illuminates on the DAC regardless of how you raise or lower the "system" volume in MC?

[DJLegba]

I have a different DAC with its own volume control. I disable volume in MC and control it with the DAC's remote (or with the DAC's ASIO control panel). Try that.

[tvr2500m]

How do you have the DAC connected to the PC?

Are you saying that, when using system volume, the MQA light illuminates on the DAC regardless of how you raise or lower the "system" volume in MC?

The blue and green MQA lights that indicate playing an MQA file NEVER light using the "Internal" volume setting. Everything works normally using ever other MC25 volume control setting EXCEPT the "Internal" setting.

The way I was understanding the MC25 volume is that the Internal setting would be the most direct, least layered volume control setting out of MC25 to control a device like the Explorer2, which has no other volume control but through a PC source.

I have the Exporer2 connected to my PC via the supplied USB cable. It only has one input, a USB input.

[tvr2500m]

I have a different DAC with its own volume control. I disable volume in MC and control it with the DAC's remote (or with the DAC's ASIO control panel). Try that.

The Explorer2 has its own "internal" volume control that's controlled via some software source. No remote for the explorer. Meridian does supply an ASIO driver for the Meridian; one primarily for use when an OS doesn't otherwise have a suitable driver. I'm using the latest builds of Win 10 and all seems good without installing another driver.

Using all the other MC25 volume control choices work as expected with the Explorer2, just not "Internal".

I do disable the MC25 volume control when using an external device that has some type of volume control of its own and use that devices volume control.

[wer]

You didn't directly answer my volume question, so I'll assume you meant "yes".

I'm surprised that the MQA indicator lights up when the system volume is adjusted up and down, because the system volume messes with the bitstream to do that.  So it would seem that going through the MC internal volume processing messes with the data in some way that messes with the MQA fingerprint, whereas it doesn't mind the system volume.

But in the end, I don't see why you consider this a problem...

The whole point of MQA, and that MQA blue light, is to make you think the DAC is seeing the original, highest quality version of the recorded content that it can, blessed by the studio.  It can't get any "more" MQA than the blue light, can it?

So if you use the system volume, and you get the blue light, the DAC is saying everything is perfect.

Since you can't have better than perfect, you'll get no benefit from using the MC internal volume, right?  MQA says so.  And if the blue light went out, you'd obviously hear a big drop in quality, so you'd better keep it on.

So just use the system volume, and enjoy the blue light, knowing that the DAC says things are perfect.

[tvr2500m]

You didn't directly answer my volume question, so I'll assume you meant "yes".

I'm surprised that the MQA indicator lights up when the system volume is adjusted up and down, because the system volume messes with the bitstream to do that.  So it would seem that going through the MC internal volume processing messes with the data in some way that messes with the MQA fingerprint, whereas it doesn't mind the system volume.

But in the end, I don't see why you consider this a problem...

The whole point of MQA, and that MQA blue light, is to make you think the DAC is seeing the original, highest quality version of the recorded content that it can, blessed by the studio.  It can't get any "more" MQA than the blue light, can it?

So if you use the system volume, and you get the blue light, the DAC is saying everything is perfect.

Since you can't have better than perfect, you'll get no benefit from using the MC internal volume, right?  MQA says so.  And if the blue light went out, you'd obviously hear a big drop in quality, so you'd better keep it on.

So just use the system volume, and enjoy the blue light, knowing that the DAC says things are perfect.

Yes the direct, succinct answer to your question is "Yes". At every MC25 slider position using the "System" volume setting, the MQA light stays lit when playing an MQA file. Every MC25 volume setting works as expected with the Explorer2 EXCEPT "Internal".

That's what I've done. I'm using "System" volume setting for the Explorer2, "Disabled" for everything that has its own volume control.

On the MQA thing, the MQA files sound great, and standard PCM files of the same music do, too. When I have file recorded as MQA, I will just stick/listen to/use that one.