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MDAC First Listen (part 00111001)

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I'm designing the output level attenuation section for the MDAC2 DD2A. What level do you normally listen to music - not background music levels, but "serious listening" levels?

Listening levels with Speakers and Headphones would be interesting.

Eg. normally I listen at about -20dB to say -10dB for very Loud... (with Speakers, I don't use headphones).
 
JohnW said:
I'm designing the output level attenuation section for the MDAC2 DD2A. What level do you normally listen to music - not background music levels, but "serious listening" levels?
Listening levels with Speakers and Headphones would be interesting.
Eg. normally I listen at about -20dB to say -10dB for very Loud... (with Speakers, I don't use headphones).
Click to expand...

Because my ADC/vinyl system is much quieter than my RPi streamer, I use a B Putzeys balanced volume control (AKA 'The Knob') so my MDAC is usually set at -10dB, and then attenuated, so, I suppose -10dB is the loudest it ever goes, but my power amp is specifically designed to be low gain... new power amp (temporary amp number 2 whilst waiting for VFETs) is a Radford STA25, which is higher gain, so the MDAC is currently set at -17dB.

Not sure if that helps at all!
 
Well, on my MDAC with certain tracks I've put it upto +3db (rarely though) and while this is loud, I wish I had another 3db on some rare occasions. Most well produced tracks I play upto -5dB and that's usually as much as my speakers and ears can handle. On some movies I have it up at -8dB to really get carried away (Top Gun, etc). I do get carried away sometimes and just turn it up as loud as it will go before before something in my system is likely to fail. I try and get to and beyond a heavy rock concert level when I'm in the mood. I have Linn LK280 amplifiers into active Linn Isobariks and sit about 6-8 feet away. So can we have the upper level of the MDAC2 similar to the original MDAC please. I almost never go lower that -28 dB. I've never used the headphone socket.

Hope I'm not an outlier?...:D
 
I only used the MDAC as a preamp with my ncores for a very short period, because -20 was to loud for normal listening. Definitely remember never wanting to try +3.
Maybe someone else with ncores can confirm/correct my memory?
 
NCore is a lot more sensitive compared to my McLaren Amplifiers...sounds almost double as loud at same volume level on the Pre
 
mattgbell said:
Is there a problem with the MDAC's gain? If not, I'd vote for retaining it, rather than changing based on a few (probably unrepresentative) replies here.
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The current MDAC uses Digital Attenuation, the MDAC2 DD2A uses "lossless" Analogue domain attenuation where I have the opportunity to optimise the performance over the most "critical" usage range.

I now have a fairly good idea of this "range" (which is pretty much the same as I use).
 
I used an MDAC directly with a pair of Meridian M2 speakers. Normal range is around -20 to around -12 depending on the source and how loud I want it to be.
 
Rune said:
I only used the MDAC as a preamp with my ncores for a very short period, because -20 was to loud for normal listening. Definitely remember never wanting to try +3.
Maybe someone else with ncores can confirm/correct my memory?
Click to expand...

Same for me, but if the attenuation in the MDAC2 is in the analogue domain, that would be fine would it not?
 
Timcat said:
Same for me, but if the attenuation in the MDAC2 is in the analogue domain, that would be fine would it not?
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Yes, it will be fine. The problem with digital attenuation is that you get a loss in SQ. It is not only the MDAC that has this problem my Hugo has this as well.

If I have understood it correctly it will be like having a transformer based preamp build in. Which means that I can sell my expensive MFA baby ref passive preamp without losing any SQ :cool:

And it will make the box count obsessed crowd happy as well. ;)
 
Rune said:
I only used the MDAC as a preamp with my ncores for a very short period, because -20 was to loud for normal listening. Definitely remember never wanting to try +3.
Maybe someone else with ncores can confirm/correct my memory?
Click to expand...
Depends heavily on the program/label. With modern Pop -26db is already too loud, but good classical productions without compression - which I hear 95% of the time - I play normally at -18 to -12db, very seldom up to -6db or so. BIS, old Denon, MDG, LSO, Sony, Challenge, Harmonia mundi (and my own recordings with a pair of condensor mics and no compression, naturally)... Most bigger companies (DG, Decca, also Linn) are strongly compressed, so around -6db less => -24 to -18db. Older only slightly compressed pop records of the 70s to mid-80s, sometimes even 90s (Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson; The Roches; Rickie Lee Jones! e.g.) are in that same range.

nCore => KEF R700.
 
Rune said:
Yes, it will be fine. The problem with digital attenuation is that you get a loss in SQ. It is not only the MDAC that has this problem my Hugo has this as well.
Click to expand...

I thought so. When it began to deteriorate with electrolytic cap failure, I replaced my MDAC with a Mytek DAC that has the choice of digital or analogue attenuation. The analogue is superior and allows me to avoid using a separate preamp. I still have the MDAC in a cupboard as a donor for MDAC2.
 
The DD2A level control is an embedded part of the DAC Array circuit its not suitable for an external Analogue input - its not a Analogue Pre-amplifier following the DAC stage but integral part of the DAC Array for the simplest most direct signal path.
 
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