[chickenmcnug]

I just checked the Moondrop Variations is a very sensitive IEM, but its fine with a Sony NW-WM1AM2 and a L&P W4 and Mojo 2 plenty of volume range at the low end.

Variations:
Sensitivity: 118dB/Vrms @1kHz
Impedance: 15.2Ω @1kHz ±15%

I could switch to the 3.5mm output but apparently I'll get more soundstage and other goodness from the balanced output so I'm sticking with the 4.4mm for now.

I'm listening now on the second volume click and its loud enough for general listening, i.e. not ear damaging volumes and I'd be comfortable listening for 6-8 hours at this level.

Do I have an issue with my Elite or can anyone else confirm this? @twister6 quotes listening at 10 o'clock 1 o'clock in his review, not sure what this means, perhaps a better way to describe volume level would be number of clicks from 0 , Twister could you please check how many clicks 10 o'clock is please?

I've had a recent conversation with a member here on Head-Fi who sold a 118db sensitivity IEM because it was "too sensitive to use with their sources" isn't this the wrong way of looking at things? I get people want to be able to drive power hungry headphones, loud, but surely a dongle is mainly aimed at portable applications and don't most Head-Fier's use sensitive IEM's and portable wired headphones for portable applications. Volume-wise this thing seems to me to be like driving to the shops in a supercar, yes it gets the job done but does it need to be so powerful.

I'm on six clicks up from 0 on my Focal Stellia too 106dB quoted sensitivity.

Don't get me wrong for critical listening for short periods I'll listen louder, but I doubt I'd go over 50% volume at all with the Focal.

I can't be the only person who has an issue with this and no I'm not selling all my IEM's and Headphones except for my Tin Hifi P1 (95dB / 20 ohms) for a dongle DAC however good it is, I'll sell the Elite first.

All of this could be fixed with a useable high/low gain but then I suppose we lose the advantage of having an analogue volume control in the first place, in the digital domain no volume adjustment should occur for best https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SINAD I get that. I've set 0dB PCM volume reduction as even at -2dB for me it makes very little difference.

For now I'll live with it but any issues with the volume pot at the two-three click setting and I'm screwed.

Rant over.

P.S. Picture for illustration purposes only.

I'm with you on this. I have the same setup as you, Sony A306 into the Elite. With the VEX, I'm at 2 clicks of the knob.

On my laptop/PC however, it's actually louder and 1 click is too loud lol.

 

[FooFighter]

The biggest drawback to me is that digital volume through source isn't working.
At least in my case I got it working only one time with very old Motorola phone
That feature d pretty much mitigate such adjustment issues

 

[MarkParity]

I'm with you on this. I have the same setup as you, Sony A306 into the Elite. With the VEX, I'm at 2 clicks of the knob.

On my laptop/PC however, it's actually louder and 1 click is too loud lol.

Thank you. So I don't have a faulty one that's good to know.

iBasso over to you, this is a great sounding DAC but it seems it needs a better volume control, I wonder if the 320 Max has the same issue of not enough volume control at the low end?

 

[MarkParity]

The biggest drawback to me is that digital volume through source isn't working.
At least in my case I got it working only one time with very old Motorola phone
That feature d pretty much mitigate such adjustment issues

My digital volume seems to be working, I can hear very slight changes in the output level but I have no way to test if it's 1dB or 2dB attenuation as it's advertised to be.

I've switched to my Thieaudio Monarch III now and surprisingly the volume level didn't need adjusting from the Moondrop Variations level (99dB 18 ohms vs 118dB 15 ohms) so that is a little odd too.

Happy listening everyone.

 

[FooFighter]

My digital volume seems to be working, I can hear very slight changes in the output level but I have no way to test if it's 1dB or 2dB attenuation as it's advertised to be.

I've switched to my Thieaudio Monarch III now and surprisingly the volume level didn't need adjusting from the Moondrop Variations level (99dB 18 ohms vs 118dB 15 ohms) so that is a little odd too.

Happy listening everyone.

You misunderstood me
I mean full digital volume control from your phone or pc.
That's a design used by many Dongles for example Tachim Space I heard yesterday

 

[easylive]

My digital volume seems to be working, I can hear very slight changes in the output level but I have no way to test if it's 1dB or 2dB attenuation as it's advertised to be.

I've switched to my Thieaudio Monarch III now and surprisingly the volume level didn't need adjusting from the Moondrop Variations level (99dB 18 ohms vs 118dB 15 ohms) so that is a little odd too.

Happy listening everyone.

So that is not very IEM friendly, which is strange by portable device... They need implemet exponential volume control if there are only 24 steps... I have Ibasso D16 with the same 24step attenuator and by Monarch MK3 I listen on step 4 or 5 (LG on dac LG on amp)..

 

[MarkParity]

You misunderstood me
I mean full digital volume control from your phone or pc.
That's a design used by many Dongles for example Tachim Space I heard yesterday

Yes I did, apologies. None of my sources allow controlling the volume either but I wouldn't want that anyway. Any source level volume adjustment isn't bit-perfect. I probably couldn't hear a difference but it would most definitely trigger my OCD so I always make sure the source passes through the digital data untouched.

This is the main reason why iBasso went to the effort and expense of using a 24 step attenuation volume control so any digital volume adjustment defeats the point of that.

To properly fix this for high sensitivity loads I suppose they would have to add some sort of variable gain setting in their LPF and voltage amp and current amp, IMHO

 

[MarkParity]

So that is not very IEM friendly, which is strange by portable device... They need implemet exponential volume control if there are only 24 steps... I have Ibasso D16 with the same 24step attenuator and by Monarch MK3 I listen on step 4 or 5 (LG on dac LG on amp)..

I was assuming that the volume control was a logarithmic type adjustment but you may be onto something, there is no way to know unless iBasso can help with this.

Step 4 or 5 would be OK for me too I suppose for short listening sessions but as this is a new dongle I'm listening for 4-5 hours a day so need it to be a little quieter.

 

[chickenmcnug]

I was assuming that the volume control was a logarithmic type adjustment but you may be onto something, there is no way to know unless iBasso can help with this.

Step 4 or 5 would be OK for me too I suppose for short listening sessions but as this is a new dongle I'm listening for 4-5 hours a day so need it to be a little quieter.

FYI, the Sony actually adjusts the volume even if it shows as locked. If you go into your settings and play with the Media Volume you’ll see/hear that it’s adjusting volume accordingly.

 

[twister6]

I just checked the Moondrop Variations is a very sensitive IEM, but its fine with a Sony NW-WM1AM2 and a L&P W4 and Mojo 2 plenty of volume range at the low end.

Variations:
Sensitivity: 118dB/Vrms @1kHz
Impedance: 15.2Ω @1kHz ±15%

I could switch to the 3.5mm output but apparently I'll get more soundstage and other goodness from the balanced output so I'm sticking with the 4.4mm for now.

I'm listening now on the second volume click and its loud enough for general listening, i.e. not ear damaging volumes and I'd be comfortable listening for 6-8 hours at this level.

Do I have an issue with my Elite or can anyone else confirm this? @twister6 quotes listening at 10 o'clock 1 o'clock in his review, not sure what this means, perhaps a better way to describe volume level would be number of clicks from 0 , Twister could you please check how many clicks 10 o'clock is please?

I've had a recent conversation with a member here on Head-Fi who sold a 118db sensitivity IEM because it was "too sensitive to use with their sources" isn't this the wrong way of looking at things? I get people want to be able to drive power hungry headphones, loud, but surely a dongle is mainly aimed at portable applications and don't most Head-Fier's use sensitive IEM's and portable wired headphones for portable applications. Volume-wise this thing seems to me to be like driving to the shops in a supercar, yes it gets the job done but does it need to be so powerful.

I'm on six clicks up from 0 on my Focal Stellia too 106dB quoted sensitivity.

Don't get me wrong for critical listening for short periods I'll listen louder, but I doubt I'd go over 50% volume at all with the Focal.

I can't be the only person who has an issue with this and no I'm not selling all my IEM's and Headphones except for my Tin Hifi P1 (95dB / 20 ohms) for a dongle DAC however good it is, I'll sell the Elite first.

All of this could be fixed with a useable high/low gain but then I suppose we lose the advantage of having an analogue volume control in the first place, in the digital domain no volume adjustment should occur for best https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SINAD I get that. I've set 0dB PCM volume reduction as even at -2dB for me it makes very little difference.

For now I'll live with it but any issues with the volume pot at the two-three click setting and I'm screwed.

Rant over.

P.S. Picture for illustration purposes only.

It is very common to refer to the analog knob position with a reference to analog clock dial/face from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock. But since we are dealing here with a unique analog stepped attenuator with 24 steps, we can also use "clicks" to describe the position. So, 10 o'clock would be about 7 clicks, 12 o'clock about 11 clicks. I put a little narrow tape sticker to indicate the position in DC Elite.

 

[User9876]

I suppose this is the kind of volume control that is in the DC Elite, but miniaturised. I must admit its quite neat, dust can't get on a carbon track and cause that cracking noise we have all heard on older amplifiers and such.

If the volume control is typically left at one setting it should last forever in theory.

 

[twister6]

I suppose this is the kind of volume control that is in the DC Elite, but miniaturised. I must admit its quite neat, dust can't get on a carbon track and cause that cracking noise we have all heard on older amplifiers and such.

If the volume control is typically left at one setting it should last forever in theory.

It's more like this in reality, with 24 position (3dB steps) in 4 sections; the same one used in DX320Max, DC Elite, D16, and PB5:

 

[mekap]

Here's the one I use (currently out of stock): https://hisago-denzai.com/products/onso-coxc_01_3232

The 4-pole on the right goes into the Elite, the 2-pole on the left into the D16.

https://www.moon-audio.com/black-dragon-mini-coax-digital-cable-75ohm.html

 

[FooFighter]

https://www.moon-audio.com/black-dragon-mini-coax-digital-cable-75ohm.html

Have you tried that one yet?
Fitting snuggly with full inserting into DC Elite and playing reliably?

 

[mekap]

no I haven't tried this, I accidentally saw that you can order this coaxial cable for Ibasso D16 and PB5