Hi folks, Can someone tell me what volume I should set the Z8 for line level output to RCA? There doesn't seem to be a fixed volume output, and when I set the Z8 at 0db it is significantly louder than my other DACs, such as my RME ADI-2. Thanks!
It should definitely be 0dB. Now, if it is significantly lounder, the problem may be in the fact that the Z8 could be outputting *more* than the standard 4Vpp... Actually, looking into Amir at ASR, it is more likely it outputs nearly 4.2V (4.16 shows up in the first graph) I don't know, though, how many dB you should decrease the volum by to get the standard 4.0V... I see you posted also there, so that a more technical answer should be on the way.
Thanks! But wouldn’t I want 2.1 for rca output, rather than the 4.1 you note? I thought 4.1 was for XLR. In any case, Amir at ASR - if I’m reading what he says correctly- suggests that I should get 2.08 for rca out of full volume. It just strikes me that the volume is much louder for the Z8 than for my RME ADI-2 or my Chord Mojo set at line level.
Sorry, I assumed you were on XLRs. But that's exactly the same, in your case 2.08Vpp on RCAs seems to be too high. Now, I do not know how many volts is indeed the standard LINE OUT; I seem to remember it was not even 2V, but slightly less than that. I can definitely be wrong, though. The thing that bothers me the most, though, is that if the RME is lower in level, it is more likely that its level is correct (the Germans do not usually mess with standards, they strictly follow them; if not even define them to begin with...!
Yep! German engineering is certainly precise. I’ve set my volume to -5 to better match my RME and Chord dacs. Not sure what others do - and I’m wondering why there is no documentation on this (or reviewer comments on it).
I also have to admit that I think there is too much output sometimes at 0db, it sometimes sounds like my Shanling PH100 headphone amplifier is distorting, but if you turn it down you probably get a bit reduction
