I am curious about my fellow AVA owners, and perhaps this is more of a survey, but, on average, how loud do you listen to your music? If we could use the clock hands (at least it's a reference point) with 7 o'clock being no volume, where are you usually at? And do you think the control is at the right position for the sound level being heard?
Feeding a phono cartridge with a 4.6mV output rating into my OmegaStar PAT-5, and using an Insight 240 to drive Vandersteen 1C's (90dB efficiency rating), the useable range for me, depending on individual record and time of day, is about 7:40 to 8:40--two to five clicks up from fully turned down. I am an apartment dweller, so moderate to low volumes are the norm for me.
Do I think the control is at the right position? Well, as long as I can get the volume I want, it doesn't much matter. It does seem odd to be using so little of the volume pot's range of motion, and would be even more cramped with a higher output cartridge (been thinking about a Rega model, with about a 7mV rating). Then again, I used a higher volume setting with a 3.2mV cartridge, a Linn LK2 power amp, less efficient Linn Sara speakers, and while living in a house where I could crank the volume without bothering others--there are lots of system and usage variables.
Some AVA preamps have a mute switch that can be used with the more efficient speakers to gain some volume-setting adjustment room on the low end. Also, while some volume pots have poor channel balance tracking at their lower settings (such as a client's NAD), I have not found that to be the case with my OmegaStar PAT-5.
