[Mag]

The other day I was listening to a blu ray concert on computer when I decided to adjust the volume up on media player. Holy shit!! the mouse sort of locked onto the volume slider and I hit max. before I could respond, fearing the speakers were going to blow.

Fortunately my Bryston went into mute mode. Not sure if it was the pre or the amps that muted, think it was the pre.

The lesson here is stop play, adjust volume down, before monkeying with volumes.

[James Tanner]

The other day I was listening to a blu ray concert on computer when I decided to adjust the volume up on media player. Holy shit!! the mouse sort of locked onto the volume slider and I hit max. before I could respond, fearing the speakers were going to blow.

Fortunately my Bryston went into mute mode. Not sure if it was the pre or the amps that muted, think it was the pre.

The lesson here is stop play, adjust volume down, before monkeying with volumes.

Good advice Mag and I too have found those digital volume slider controls are very temperamental.

james

[guest61169]

Kind of confused with your description of the event.  You mean Windows Media Player? What media player and what preamp and amp?  Why would you ever use "media player" to adjust volume if you have a preamp to do that?  Or are you?

[rollo]

  I thought Mighty Mouse saved the day ? Built like a tank that Bryston.


charles

[Mag]

Kind of confused with your description of the event.  You mean Windows Media Player? What media player and what preamp and amp?  Why would you ever use "media player" to adjust volume if you have a preamp to do that?  Or are you?

Leawo Blu ray player for PC. I wanted to just bump up the volume a little bit to increase the output but somehow it went to max with the mouse click. The volume control on pre-amp was already near max so I needed to bump up volume on media player.

So I had the output on Leawo Blu ray to Bryston BDA-1 using USB port, BDA-1 to Bryston SP-2, SP-2 to mixer, mixer to two Bryston 3B SST2.

[Mike-48]

Good advice Mag and I too have found those digital volume slider controls are very temperamental.

Yes, such sliders are an example of really poor GUI design, in my opinion. I way prefer "+" and "-" buttons clicked to increment volume.

[guest61169]

Leawo Blu ray player for PC. I wanted to just bump up the volume a little bit to increase the output but somehow it went to max with the mouse click. The volume control on pre-amp was already near max so I needed to bump up volume on media player.

So I had the output on Leawo Blu ray to Bryston BDA-1 using USB port, BDA-1 to Bryston SP-2, SP-2 to mixer, mixer to two Bryston 3B SST2.

So leave the media player volume at 100% at all times and adjust volume only with the preamp.   That's what everyone I know does.

(Not sure what the mixer would be for but in a high end system they are a rarity because of the extra circuitry in the signal path.  I would try to bypass the mixer for music listening)

[Mag]

So leave the media player volume at 100% at all times and adjust volume only with the preamp.   That's what everyone I know does.

(Not sure what the mixer would be for but in a high end system they are a rarity because of the extra circuitry in the signal path.  I would try to bypass the mixer for music listening)

IMO having volume or gain settings set at 100% introduces output/input distortions on equipment. Best to back it off to a safe level. Also years ago when I first got the BDA-1 I compared it to the BCD-1 and I found that volume/gain set at approx. 80% I could not discern a difference between 'em so I sold the BCD-1. The level of computer output etc. effects how a dac is gonna sound.

The mixer was a brilliant idea I had for editing recordings. Not knowing how to use a mixer I played with the settings for two weeks trying to find where it sounded optimal. What I discovered was there is a fine line between sounding good vs sounding musical with the settings. So being able to customize the sound, I just left it in the chain.

The Yamaha MG-10 mixer distortion spec if IIRC is something like .01 so it doesn't mask the sound of my Brsyton's from what I can hear. Whereas using an equalizer in the past masks the sound. I tried finding distortion specs on other mixers and can't find 'em. So don't know if using another brand mixer is as low as the Yamaha.

[guest61169]

IMO having volume or gain settings set at 100% introduces output/input distortions on equipment. Best to back it off to a safe level.

Trust your ears but keep in mind that most analog and digital sources (BDP, DVD, CDP, DACs, turntables, etc.) run at full output all the time with no gain controls on the units.   Most power amplifiers too. 

[Mag]

Trust your ears but keep in mind that most analog and digital sources (BDP, DVD, CDP, DACs, turntables, etc.) run at full output all the time with no gain controls on the units.   Most power amplifiers too.

I can't argue with you cause I don't know but I would think manufactures have their volumes set & locked at a specific gain & volume not maxed at 100%. Years ago when you could set the volume and gain on computer manually, I would hear this tearing or ripping sound in the background when playing music. So I asked the guy at Hi Tek audio repair store in the city and in his opinion I was hearing output/input distortions having the setting too high.

Initially using my mixer I had the gain set fairly high but have since bumped it back preferring a more relaxed sound. And I can hear this difference with the amplification so I would think that gain on an amp is not set. Pre-amps and sources sure.

[HsvHeelFan]

On my music server PC that I built,  I'm using the Asus Xonar Essence STK sound card and it's got sliders for Left and Right output.  I've got those set at 80% and JRiver wakes up at either 70 or 80% ( I don't remember which).

That provides great sound and my Parasound pre-amp volume knob basically has the same levels as when using the CD players that I replaced.   Comfortable level is around 9:00 to 9:30 and to loud to be in the room is at 12:00 - 1:00

I wanted a little head room to keep from saturating the op-amps in the output stage of the ASUS.

That setup works well for me.

HsvHeelFan

[Mag]

Leawo Blu ray player for PC. I wanted to just bump up the volume a little bit to increase the output but somehow it went to max with the mouse click. The volume control on pre-amp was already near max so I needed to bump up volume on media player.

So I had the output on Leawo Blu ray to Bryston BDA-1 using USB port, BDA-1 to Bryston SP-2, SP-2 to mixer, mixer to two Bryston 3B SST2.

I wanted to update what happen. Apparently I somehow acquired a Double-Click virus on my computer. So when I clicked the mouse believing I was being very careful. With the Double-Click virus I had clicked it twice unknowingly as a result I moved the volume slider to max.

Fortunately as I mentioned before the Bryston's I believe it was the amps went into mute mode otherwise I may have damaged my speaker and ears before I could turn the volume down on remote. I have since deleted the virus after doing a scan.

[James Tanner]

OUCH - Mag!

[rollo]

  Interesting subject. I have the iPeng remote set at fixed 100% and use preamp volume control. Would using variable setting on ipeng and fixed on preamp make a difference ?

charles