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In the Forum: Audio For Dummies ™
In the Thread: Digital Volume Control self-assessment
Post Subject: Digital Volume Control self-assessmentPosted by Romy the Cat on: 2/13/2008

I propose a very simple but extremely effective method of audio evaluation of you and your playback

Take any devise that has a digital volume control. If might be a CD player, DAC, Sound Card, Preamp or a power amp. Connected it to your system and set the digital volume control in unity gain at 0dB. If you have a chance to bypass it then do it. Play the system as is; get a reference of the result. Change the attenuation of the digital volume control for any amount, .5db for instance. Observe that the sound of playback become immediately unworthy in term of musical values (use my 6-level evaluation scale)

If you come to the opposite conclusion and if you feel that there was no change with sound when a digital attenuator is engaged and disengaged then there are ONLY two possibilities:

1) Your playback is very dull and inflicts too much masking effect. Go to Circuit City, buy yourself a good table radio, get life and trash the garbage audio that you use currently.

2) You are completely deaf or have listening techniques of Ordovician lizard. Stop doing audio.

I am not kidding - there are no other options... well, perhaps you try to educate yourself

The Cat

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