Will changing gain affect frequency response?

czarivey
3,215 posts
09-13-2016 12:10pm
It's like a glass of water, if you fill up all the way, you will have to limit yourself on the speed of carrying that glass of water because not enough 'headroom' left to keep water stable inside. If you do not fill up, than you might be still thirsty and desire more water in your glass. So the goal is to reach sufficient level of water so it doesn't spill and it fills you up.

Maybe substitute the word vodka for water.

I can, but prefer cognac to all spirits :-)

Rodman - Absolutely no need to apologize. Those Fletcher Munson curves were new to me so you added to my little store of audio knowledge. Thanks for taking the time.

Czar - Interesting analogy.  I think I get your point applied to gain settings.

NOT talking about increasing the volume at the listening position

Increasing the gain by moving the jumper to the highest position

(keeping the volume the same at the listening position)
In some cases this gain change in a preamp/amps/cdp/dacs with links can be done buy a change in the negative feedback ratio loop.

And if you change the negative feedback, you change the things like the distortion, frequency response, stability, damping factor, slew rate and many more factors.
(In most cases the less the negative feedback, the more gain you have)

So what I’m saying is the "brightness" thing your hearing may vey well be the change in one of all of these factors, if these links apply to the negative feedback.

I know in a few Cary/Wadia dac/cd players it was done this way to have the user use the digital domain volume control used only it the top quarter of full, so the risk of "bit stripping" was minimalized.
Cheers George

In addition to how changing the gain of a preamp can change sound due to nonlinearity of the gain control, another thing to consider is where you achieve the gain.  For instance, I can change the gain on my phono preamp as well as on my main preamp.  I have tried it both ways and using the main preamp for increased gain sounds better than increasing the gain in my phono stage.