Do Audiophiles usually keep the gain of the digital source at around 80%?


My setup is:

A8 Eversolor DAC and streamer

McIntosh C12000 preamp

REL sub 810

Focal Sopra n1 speakers. 

861 Moon amp

I keep my McIntosh preamp usually between 50-60% volume. Any higher would make the sound thin like.

For the Eversolo streamer (which I am enjoying quite a bit for the money), I keep between 75% -85% max gain. With older songs that are recorded at lower volume, I have it at 85%. But with songs that are recorded louders (mostly newer songs) it would cause some/slight clipping at that level so I to have lower the gain to about 75% max gain.  

I saw that there was a max volume throughput option on the Eversolo, but when I try that I can’t really get the system as loud as I want it without clipping and distortion setting in early. 

Is this normal for Audiophiles to keep the gain on the digital signal about 80%?

Wasn’t sure if this should go into digital forums or preamps since both are used here, so I posted here. 

 

dman777

Digital gain at 100% and preamp gain 30-50% is generally the ideal operating range but at 60-70 DB there should be no audible distortion in a properly configured system. 

@foggyus91 

Hans touched on this 2 years ago.  And Here is the followup video

 

https://youtu.be/gXYCrvUPJY4?si=L7QByhXw-DGVIco6

https://youtu.be/yhwNiCt-Kiw?si=A_9yfYy01BqpVr_Q

 

I watch his videos, thanks. It seems to be that a -3db would be the way to avoid clipping. That's about 70% on the Eversolo volume I believe after asking Gemini AI. 

My Townshend Allegri Reference mk2 passive preamp has taken care of the problem with preamps volume having to be set around 9am when the digital source is set at 100%.

Now my volume is set between noon and 3pm on the Townshend which is ideal.

OP:   You might want to revisit my previous post.   According to these Eversolo 8 specifications - the XLR output is 4.2 volts.  The RCA output is 2.1 volts.       

Hans says this difference in voltage may cause clipping,  Cue up Hans’ video here - 8 min. 43 sec - 9 min. 29 sec.   This is why RCA might be better than XLR for this particular issue.   

If using the RCA output remedies up the clipping issue, set the digital volume at 100% - as everybody suggests. 

Good thing the senile dutchman revealed to Audiophiles that doubling the input voltage could cause clipping. Who wudda thunk?