Volume Control | Roon vs Preamp

[bluesman]

5 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I've always thought that products designed without volume control were to be used with product(s) that have volume control. Whether that's a passive attenuator or software based control shouldn't matter. 

I’m sure your thought is correct, Chris - without some kind of attenuation in the signal path, the only determinants of listening volume would be fixed by design.  Sets of progressive density earplugs probably wouldn’t sell well, it’s hard to imagine a music library of FLAC verticals at graded modulation levels, and few of us have listening rooms sufficiently large for effective attenuation using movable seating and baffles.
 

But the design and placement of attenuation in the signal path certainly affect SQ. Even the same methodology at the same point in the circuitry can be implemented well or poorly, e.g. simple progressive resistance in an analog stage can be accomplished with stepped high quality switching, components and assembly or a $0.50 pot.

 

The divide between digital and analog volume control is much smaller than it used to be, but I think optimum use of one is still better than poor implementation of the other.

[bluesman]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I've tried opening and closing Roon many times and switching endpoints etc... and I can't get Roon to act strange. This is good. The volume is always at the level where I left off. 

Your device setup audio settings may be controlling that.  I don’t know how you set yours up, but options include fixed Roon output, volume control by endpoint device, by DSP etc.  And there’s a setting for maximum volume that can be switched on or off and set to the desired level.  None of my settings has been altered yet despite many updates and heavy use.

 

JRiver media center has also been free of setting glitches in any version from 19 to 26 over years of heavy use.  I use fixed / max output in Roon & JRiver and the volume controls in my DACs that have them (SMSL, iFi, M-Audio, Emotiva).  One problem with DACs and other front end components is forgetting to turn the amp on last and off first. I drive a few basic amps directly and have been reminded of this the hard way. Fortunately, none of my front ends or DACs puts out much of a transient, but there are some that will take out a tweeter.

 

It’s best to come up with the safest power-on and power-off routine for each system based on its architecture and settings and to follow it rigorously.