Streamer for mostly Qobuz with volume control

I’m quite happy with my Auralic Aries G1, which has a digital volume control. However, I’ve never used the volume control, so I don’t know that my satisfaction means much to you.

Any digital volume control reduces dynamic range. If the volume attenuation is appreciable, that will be noticeable -- the sound will become a little flat. I don’t know of any streamers without DACs that have analog volume control -- that wouldn’t make sense. If I were in your shoes, I’d consider an inexpensive low-noise preamp like a Topping PRE90 to control volume in the analog domain.

The Topping was reviewed recently in Stereophile by Kal Rubinson, who is less easily swayed by audio jewelry than many reviewers.

All streamers have output level (volume) level control.

The miniDSP Studio (no DAC) has a physical and remote volume control, plus one in the control app.

The Lumin streamer with “Leedh Processing” is supposed to help mitigate some of the digital artifacts seen when controlling volume digitally (as @mike_in_nc notes). Regardless- I would always prefer to run at full output and let the preamp do the fine adjustments.

LeedH Processing

Why would you ever use the volume control on a streamer?  That is why there is a volume control on an amplifier.  I am thinking about playing CD’s because I noticed better sound quality when playing CD’s.  

Then I might sell the streamer and go for streamer dac preamp? I know that this exists on the lumin T2- T3, hifi rose 250 or else? Olit will add 1000$ to the overall budget