This is interesting: RCA vs XLR/RCA output

interesting…
Thanks Alan …

did you happen to toggle between RCA and XLR/RCA when using the RCA output jacks to see if there was a volume change ?

oh , btw , maybe I should have mentioned that I never used fixed output (pass through) , only variable.

thanks again

BK

 

Yes, I did, both BAL/XLR ---> Analog-RCA ---> XLR/RCA and randomly between the three options just in case there was a particular sequence that induced the effect. Set the DMP-A6 to loop playback for the 1kHz test tone and yes I did toggle through the three possible modes whilst taking the measurements on an AWA F242A Noise and Distortion measuring set which supports both balanced and unbalanced measuring modes.
I opted to use the pass through mode (fixed volume setting) for ease of consistency in measurements. I'm happy to repeat the measurements in non-pass through mode to see if the relationship in levels changes, but I don't expect there to be any differences except obviously a lower output voltage will be produced depending on the volume setting on the DMP-A6. I expect both outputs to track each other.

 

Thanks , would you mind trying in non pass through… just set the volume somewhere and toggle rca vs XLR/rca .. without changing the volume knob.

thanks

sorry , don’t mean to beat a dead horse ….

thanks again

bk

 

Of course, this would imply to check whether the actual volume remains the same, or can be saved at a different level when switching output type...
@BillyVegas this apples to you as well... have you checked that the volume level is set at the same value (by its rotary handle, I mean) between the two output types...?

 

Yes , I don’t touch the volume …

this whole thing is rather interesting… I’m not complaining, love the unit ..

Bk

 

Nonononono, the problem might be exactly that: you DON'T touch the volume, BUT it might be set at a different value!!!! Now, please.

 

Okay, so intrigued by the post from @BillyVegas and the subsequent discussion I was playing around with my DMP-A6 this morning and discovered the following:-

If I set the output to XLR/RCA and set the volume at -10dB, then switch to Analog RCA the display on the DMP-A6 changes to -20dB which I believe was a previous setting I used.
The same happened as I toggled through the other settings of BAL-XLR. So what I think is happening here is the DMP-A6 "remembers" whatever volume setting you last used for the selected output.
So as an example. If I set the output to Analog RCA and my volume control was set at say -40dB the DMP-A6 displays the level as "-40dB".
Switch to BAL-XLR and the display now shows "-20dB" which was the last setting of the volume control when I last used this output.
Switch to XLR/RCA and the display now shows "-12dB" which was the last setting of the volume control when I last used this output.
Switch back to Analog RCA and the display now shows "-40dB" which was the last setting of the volume control when I last used this output.
I observed the same behaviour with the HDMI and OPT/COAX S/PDIF outputs.

This may very well explain the level differences @BillyVegas was observing when switching between outputs but not actually realising how the previous volume level setting was affecting it???

 

I find this behavior extremely nice, and it would be even better if such a thing was available on a per-input basis, as my TV on toslink for example is a good 10dB lower than my RPi on USB (both outputting at 0dB, as I control the volume on the DAC itself).
Unfortunately it only discriminates between preamp and headphone outputs...