Feeding 11.2V signal to amp instead of "normal" 4.6V

[kohmelo]

I have iFi Pro iDSD DAC that is capable of outputting either fixed 4.6V signal or 11.2V for studio use (as iFi calls it).

Pro iDSD is feeding my Hegel H360 integrated amp via XLR.

 

I was wondering is there any obvious downsides when feeding standard consumer hifi amp with 11.2V signal ?

 

I'm testing 11.2V right now and my first impression is that there is a tad more dynamics in low frequencies, but mid/high frequencies lose some resolution compared to 4.6V signal.

I need more listening, but probably I'll go back feeding my amp with the usual 4.6V signal.

 

Just decided to test it out of interest because convolution filters can attenuate the signal level a lot, and therefor create large sound level differences between sources where convolution is not used. Using 11.2V output, these differences would not be an issue. There is obviously other ways to compensate this difference...

 

Edit. It's not really resolution that is lost. I can't really put my finger what changed in higher frequencies, but for example cymbals sound little bit too "metallic" to my ears.

That of course is a strange thing to say about metallic instrument

[davide256]

Doubling input voltage gives you a 3db gain... I suggest you retest using a  db loudness meter phone app to equalize that difference. I have experienced

that pre and amp can have sweet spots for gain performance, so that the 3db difference on input might be beneficial.

[sandyk]

A helpful chart.

[vortecjr]

On 5/21/2020 at 5:41 AM, kohmelo said:

I have iFi Pro iDSD DAC that is capable of outputting either fixed 4.6V signal or 11.2V for studio use (as iFi calls it).

Pro iDSD is feeding my Hegel H360 integrated amp via XLR.

 

I was wondering is there any obvious downsides when feeding standard consumer hifi amp with 11.2V signal ?

 

I'm testing 11.2V right now and my first impression is that there is a tad more dynamics in low frequencies, but mid/high frequencies lose some resolution compared to 4.6V signal.

I need more listening, but probably I'll go back feeding my amp with the usual 4.6V signal.

 

Just decided to test it out of interest because convolution filters can attenuate the signal level a lot, and therefor create large sound level differences between sources where convolution is not used. Using 11.2V output, these differences would not be an issue. There is obviously other ways to compensate this difference...

 

Edit. It's not really resolution that is lost. I can't really put my finger what changed in higher frequencies, but for example cymbals sound little bit too "metallic" to my ears.

That of course is a strange thing to say about metallic instrument

I would consult with the specifications for your device or contact Hegel. The difference you hear from is likely from output gain which is deceiving when comparing things at the same volume level. As suggested above, you should level match things before testing. I prefer balanced interconnects because they inherently suppress noise. However, be aware that not all balanced inputs/outputs on devices are truly balanced end to end internally.