Anyone know the difference in changing the voltage output on the RD160 ? My preamp is a Audio Research REF6SE and according to the spec, it can accept up to 18v input leaving me with many choice on the RD160.
Thanks
I have Rose RA180 (2000mV) and I found the default Variable voltage on RD160 best to my ears after testing with different voltages. Suggest you to compare different voltages yourself to find out your sweet spot. Just ensure to lower your amp volume while changing voltages during your tests.
I’m not a technician, just an audiophile user, but I believe there might be a misunderstanding here. Digital volume control works on the chip level and reduces the resolution of the digital signal by lowering the number of bits used to represent the audio. This results in a loss of detail, especially at lower volume levels, where fewer bits are available to accurately reproduce the signal.
In contrast, adjusting the output voltage (in VRMS) is an analog process and does not affect the resolution of the digital signal. This method preserves the full integrity of the original digital signal while optimizing the output for downstream equipment.
From my perspective, this could explain why using variable voltage often sounds better, as it avoids the compromises inherent to digital volume control. This is just my understanding as an audiophile, not a technical explanation.
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RD160 power consumption during playback is 30W and in standby mode, power consumption is 0.3W.
Thanks for your answer. My question was related to the output voltage of the RD160 to my preamplifier. I’m trying to understand the impact of setting up the output voltage to different value and wondering if there is a recommended value.
Nice Preamp, they are built just a few miles away from me. I would try the 160 at 2 volts if it were me and go up to 3 or 4 volts if I wanted the 160 dac to be more forward of the amp/ amps.
Reference 6SE Line-Stage- Info from website
2V RMS (1V RMS SE) into 200K ohm balanced load (maximum balanced output capability is 70V RMS at less than 0.5% THD at 1kHz)
Remember Unity Gain - “Audio that goes into a device at one level and comes out of that device at the same level is said to be at unity gain .”
That is the kind of feedback I was looking for. After a few hours of testing between 2-3-4 volts, I decided to stick with 2v. I have to say that 3v made the dac more analytic and I can understand why some people would prefer that voltage output.
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Sorry , my english is not that good but what I was asking is what should be the voltage output between my dac and my preamp ? On the RD160 I can configure that voltage output but what’s recommend and what’s the impact on increasing or decreasing that value ?
It is advantageous in terms of THD and S/N to output the Pre-Out Level at the maximum level.
In this case, you can set it appropriately by reducing the Volume in the Pre input.
Hi ROSEHAN, that is an interesting answer. I’m not totally sure I understand it all. My preamp is an audio research ref6se. What would be your voltage output recommendation to my preamp ?
Considering that the Audio Research Reference 6SE has a rated output of 2V RMS (balanced mode) and an internal gain of approximately 12dB (i.e. approximately 4 times the voltage gain),
The rated output (2V RMS) is produced when the input signal is approximately 0.5V RMS.
In other words, an input of about 0.5V RMS can be considered to correspond to the rating conditions.
This value is calculated based on the rated output, and the maximum input is 18V RMS (balanced).
RD160 supports up to Max 9VRms.
No matter what value you set, there will be no distortion, but please keep it below 4VRms based on XLR.