Software Volume Control for digital .... does it affect sound quality ?

[beammeup]

... so does it? Information from Auralic's website:

https://support.auralic.com/hc/en-us/articles/235639187-Firmware-Version-4-1-0-Build-20161128

Introducing advanced Software Volume Control function. The newly designed software volume control use 64bit fixed-point calculation precision with proper dither algorithm to optimize the sound quality. You should expect great sound quality improvement while using software volume control to play 16bit and 24bit music files

If I play nothing higher than 16 bit digital (CD quality) - will the 64 bit software volume control give enough headroom so that there is nothing deleterious to the bits when using software attenuation?

 

[davidsrsb]

32 bit fixed point would give far more than enough, the best DACs are really only about 20 bit, so plenty of headroom.
32 bit single precision floating point is also way over spec, with 23 bit fraction part.

 

[beammeup]

32 bit fixed point would give far more than enough, the best DACs are really only about 20 bit, so plenty of headroom.
32 bit single precision floating point is also way over spec, with 23 bit fraction part.

Thanks - I should explain that I am using an external DAC that does not have volume control built in - which is why I ask about the 'software' volume control option in the Auralic. So volume attenuation is done before the music reaches the DAC. I am hoping this is not detrimental to the sound coming from a 16 bit stream.

 

[AndyU]

J River and Roon and Audirvana + also have 64 bit arithmetic volume controls with a choice of dither. They've all done this for years, and run on a pc or mac. Why is Auralic so far behind!?

 

[Strictly Stereo]

...Why is Auralic so far behind!?

This announcement is from 2016.

Thanks - I should explain that I am using an external DAC that does not have volume control built in - which is why I ask about the 'software' volume control option in the Auralic. So volume attenuation is done before the music reaches the DAC. I am hoping this is not detrimental to the sound coming from a 16 bit stream.

Most likely it will be indistinguishable from a really good analogue volume control.

 

[mercalia]

This announcement is from 2016.



Most likely it will be indistinguishable from a really good analogue volume control.

The Audiolab 8200cdq has both digital and analogue volume controls and I cant hear any difference

 

[beammeup]

This announcement is from 2016.

Most likely it will be indistinguishable from a really good analogue volume control.

It's just that I like the Auralic Mini - it just sounds 'right' somehow and I can't put my finger on as to why - and that's without the linear PSU (if you really need it). I have swapped in and out more expensive streamers and sometimes I think they are 'technically' better but musically not so much for some reason. The Mini is perfectly suited to the Musical Fidelity V90 - and my favourite amps (such as the Croft) do not have have remote volume control - therefore I find myself reaching out for software attenuation within the Mini itself.

So there we have it - software attenuation it is for the convenience I seek. I set the Croft's (two volume pots) as far as the maximum loudness I generally listen to - then 'dither down or up' appropriately.

 

[Strictly Stereo]

It's just that I like the Auralic Mini - it just sounds 'right' somehow and I can't put my finger on as to why - and that's without the linear PSU (if you really need it). I have swapped in and out more expensive streamers and sometimes I think they are 'technically' better but musically not so much for some reason. The Mini is perfectly suited to the Musical Fidelity V90 - and my favourite amps (such as the Croft) do not have have remote volume control - therefore I find myself reaching out for software attenuation within the Mini itself.

So there we have it - software attenuation it is for the convenience I seek. I set the Croft's (two volume pots) as far as the maximum loudness I generally listen to - then 'dither down or up' appropriately.

That seems like a sensible strategy.