I have the A8 connected to an f2 amplifier, I get no sound until the volume is just around half way? How can I fix this it's very annoying? Thanks
Since I have the same issue after just having set up my new A8, let me post in this same thread with some additional information: - using XLR outputs on A8 directly to XLR inputs on Arcam PA240 power amp - volume is very low, have to go past the mid point to start hearing anything - used RCA outputs, same thing I’m sure it’s a silly setting somewhere, but I can’t figure it out!
Did some more searching and found a couple more threads with people expressing the same issue, sounds like it is related to the A8 pre-amp? Hard to say whether this is a problem affecting some units as in each of the threads people complaining about the issue there were others saying that they don’t have the issue. The common recommendation was to use a separate preamp and use the A8 as a streamer/DAC only, which would defeat the purpose in my case since I specifically bought the A8 because it also has the built-in preamp. I’ll wait for suggestions, hopefully there is a “fix”, if not I’ll need to part with the A8…
I'm with you on that, if it can't be fixed I'll be doing the same, you shouldn't have to buy a separate preamp when you've just spent almost 2k on a unit. This needs sorting out!
Absolutely fine here, the A-8 ‘s preamp has +10dB of gain which is completely usual. Why are you worried about the position of the volume knob? Keith
Well the first 40% of the volume scale is basically not doing anything, to me it seems defective. All the power is in the last section of the scale. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great! My question is " is this the same for everyone or is my unit defective? " I have the eversolo f2 connected and it feels underpowered, I'm at 2 oclock on the volume knob with little room left at the end and that's my normal listening volume. If it's the same for everyone then it is what it is, but I have had people saying they don't have this issue indicating that some units are defective
You have to consider the whole gain structure of your system, input gain varies, preamp gain power amp gain. The real question is not the position of the volume know but does it play loudly enough. I use mine with a pair of active Sigberg ‘Manta’ loudspeakers here and -30 is extremely loud, that is on XLR which has twice the output of RCA. Check you haven’t accidentally imposed any volume limiting on the outputs. Keith
No I haven't accidentally limited the volume, yes it goes loud enough but if my preamp isn't working as it should that would alter the dynamics of the amplifier. It supposed to be 140w per channel. I have hardly any head room left after my normal listening volume. It's like buying a Ferrari that only just does 70mph. Yes it's fast enough but it's not what you paid for, I'm simply trying to establish if my unit is faulty.. or if this is the normal operation. I'm getting very mixed feedback
Why do you suppose it isn’t working are you hearing audible distortion, perhaps your power amplifier isn’t capable of driving your loudspeakers. To verify you need to change one component at a time, try a much more capable power amp, then exchange preamps choose one with similar gain. Keith
I have already done all of this Keith, I'm running q acoustic 3050i, my 80w Cambridge drives them perfectly. My audiolab xp8300 is underpowered with the A8 preamp too. My rotel preamp into the F2 is awesome! It's just the a8s output and volume scale is very quiet
I had an Arcam SA20 driving the same speakers and at a 1/3 of the volume it would start getting too loud. I put a Wiim amp that I have driving my porch speakers on the same speakers last night and it is the same: what I consider “normal”. With the A8, I can’t hear anything until the volume is around 50%, and at 75% it is still at noticeably lower volume than the Arcam SA20 or Wiim at 30-35%. I’ve tried two different connections and played with the gain settings on the Arcam PA240 that is connected to the A8 to no avail. The reason why I looked at the Eversolo is because it can play Apple Music lossless without having to connect an iPad or iMac to the system (similar to the Fiio r7). The fact that the A8 had a built in preamp - and the rave reviews online - made it a seemingly no brainer decision. Now that I have it and have used it in my system I know that it won’t work for me and it’ll go back. The question is what will replace it. I’ll go buy a preamp and look at either a streamer/DAC combo or separates, but to the extent that I know the only two devices that can play Apple Music lossless are the Fiio and Eversolo, so maybe I’ll look at the A6 or r7.
My experience with the A8 before I've acquired a separate preamp: for normal listening level I had to have the A8 volume level set on -30dB (xlr) and -20dB over the rca. Listening of DSD files required even higher volume setting. So, I came close to the maximum volume level. Well, the low output volume level isn't the only issue with the A8. The sound quality of its preamp module is also quite unsatisfactory. My opinion based on my experience: A8 is useful as a DAC/streamer only.
I’ve had issues with the pre volume, I had to do a factory reset to sort a level issue with rca to XLA and also because of a channel level imbalance I have Audio Innovations second audio amps with the gain removed as they were too sensitive with most modern preamps but at max volume on the A8 I’m getting about 55dB volume out of them. Not as bad but with my Aleph 2 monos I need the volume up at 80% to get 75dB of sound. This is with fairly high efficiency speakers so I’m not sure the A8 is even managing 10dB of gain.
I'm using a simple valve Pro-ject Pre Box RS preamp with the external LPS Pro-ject Power Box RS. I have the volume knob set at about 9 o'clock position for normal listening (using the xlr connection). The higher volume level isn't the only benefit. As a source only my A8 sounds really good (more dynamic, the sound stage is better too). I suppose that any separate preamp in the range from 1000eur onwards will much improve the A8's sound quality. In my opinion a 2000eur price for a quality DAC/streamer/preamp device is too good to be true. 3000eur is still a very good price for a good sounding combo.
Yes a Euro 10k streamer will be better still and a 30k steamer will be bestest! The A-8s preamp has signal over noise of 128db ( admittedly this hasn’t been independently measured ) but it sounds identical to A-6 here when compared level matched and unsighted. https://www.puriteaudio.co.uk/post/eversolo-dmp-a-8-v-a-6-blood-on-the-tracks How could another pre-amp improve upon transparency? Keith
