audio puzzles, etc

This is why the bare-bones system started at $75,000 and could reach half a million for a full digital studio setup. I expect your hardware is slightly more economic.

Erm… yes, I did assign a rather more modest budget. But I’m sure someone into ‘high end’ audiophile equipment could produce a version of my box for 50,000 quid a go. Might need a bit more time and effort on the LEDs and a pretty box. And even to splash out a few more pence on the amp inside.

However, yes, one of the points is a parallel with the PMST. By having a volume control after the DAC you can use more of the DACs range even when you want to wind down the volume at which you’re listening.

Some modern DACs do, of course, have a ‘digital’ volume control. But these all use at least 24bit processes (more often 32) for the volume/DAC/filtering, so have more range to eat into!

The TWL chip in the ARMiniX is 24bit. So if we get to being able to use it as true 24bit then its volume control may work well enough to forget about an external one. Too soon to say, though. And I personally prefer ye olde fashioned ‘volume knob’ to twiddle rather than a software slider.

Indeed, if I’d had a stepped/detent pot small enough I’d have used one. But the ones I have are all 40mm cube so wouldn’t fit in the box I used. One of those would be ideal for a 50,000 quid version, though, as they are superb. 8-]

Jim