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Adjust 'locked' volume levels when using optical audo
Authored by: devwild on Jan 13, '09 08:16:03AM

"This "feature" is both annoying and unneeded."

This feature is intentional and appropriate when using digital outputs. The audio stream should be clean and true to the original audio when transferred to your receiver. This is the whole intent of using digital audio cables. Adjusting the volume digitally modifies the audio data, and if you increase the volume over the base level, it will cause clipping. Fixed outputs also keep all of your digital inputs and fixed level line inputs at roughly the same volume level (assuming the source material is reasonable).

There are times when being able to adjust the source volume may be helpful, but saying fixed level digital output is unneeded is not true. For the best quality, if you don't need it, leave it as it is.



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Adjust 'locked' volume levels when using optical audo
Authored by: frgough on Jan 14, '09 06:55:30AM

Enquiring minds want to know how adjusting signal strength on a digital receiver is good, but adjusting signal strength on a digital broadcaster is bad.

It's digital folks. Adjusting the volume is simply nothing more than applying a mathematical modifier to the equation describing the data. No data is destroyed, no clipping occurs. If you get distortion its because of analog line noise in the cables, speakers, etc.



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Adjust 'locked' volume levels when using optical audo
Authored by: tooki on Jan 15, '09 02:35:38AM

Adjusting volume at the digital signal stage requires re-computing the sample values, and results in loss of resolution and/or clipping of the waveform.

Your receiver is adjusting volume by controlling the gain of the amplifier stage -- the signal isn't adjusted digitally.



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Adjust 'locked' volume levels when using optical audo
Authored by: frgough on Jan 15, '09 07:58:06AM

That doesn't make any sense. Digital is digital. You don't need to resample the bits, you just need to apply a modifier to the waveform equation multiplying sinx by 2 doesn't distort the sin wave. Time to do some research, I guess.



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Adjust 'locked' volume levels when using optical audo
Authored by: frgough on Jan 15, '09 08:04:44AM

I found the answer from a link another commenter sent me. The signal is not distorted as long as your gain is done in steps that don't result in rounding errors. So it is possible to adjust volume on a digital signal without creating distortion, just not trivial.



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