KaiS, phones output cannot set auto ref to on.. it was disabled (at my DAC it is). But you are right, if the op can drive his AKG loud enough below 0dB, he is perfectly fine.

Good news within short time! Thank you so much

I just tried this (I also use the K812); dBr is around 30 higher via IEM for similar volume. It works well, but it seems to influence Loudness (?). If I remember correctly, Loudness becomes active somewhere in the -20s of dBr with increasing effect as you go lower.

Of course you need a different Loudness setting when you use a totally different Volume setting range. That said Loudness starts to get active at -1 dB if you set the Low Vol Ref to -20 dB. The latter is the point of maximum effect, so in both cases you can set it to work in an identical way.

You only ever turn up the volume so that your hearing is not damaged by prolonged listening at this volume.
It is completely irrelevant whether you then have to set the controller to -30 or -40.
You don't lose any dynamic which would be really important to you for getting good sound.
With a SNR / dynamic range of ~120dB you would just blow away your hearing anyway if you would listen at volume levels with such a dynamic.

excerpt from https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/laer … m-1.632597

You can hardly hear 0 to 20 dB (A). Forest noise or whispering is about in this range.

20 to 40 dB(A) can already be heard well (alarm clock ticking, computer fans, background noise in the house). Some people are disturbed by this even while they are sleeping.

40 to 60 dB (A) is normal conversation volume, or a quiet radio. Concentration can be disturbed here.

A loud conversation, a typewriter or a passing car can reach 60 to 80 dB (A). Lawnmowers, for example, are in the 80 dB (A) range. Noise at this volume can already lead to long-term health damage.

Scientific studies have shown that with street noise that reaches a sound level of 65 decibels indoors, the risk of cardiovascular disorders is 20 percent higher than with 50 to 55 decibels.

80 to 100 dB (A) are reached by passing trucks, chainsaws or angle grinders. There is already a risk of hearing damage if there is constant noise.

The pain threshold is reached at 110 dB (A). Circular saws and jackhammers are in this area, but also the noise in discotheques or the music from the Walkman.

Jet planes taking off, explosions and some rock concerts reach over 120 dB (A).

Just keep it at a reasonable level, esp if using IEM where everything is so close in front of your ear.

Thank you both. Another myth busted, I guess :-)

I was just wondering how the Volume function of the ADI-2 DAC works. I assume it affects the still digital signal before it goes into the actual DAC chip; which then results in a higher / lower voltage output of the DAC chip. After that it would go directly and unchanged to the preamps for line / phones / IEM with the set power mode. So I guess with volume set lower we would have a worse signal to noise ratio at the DAC output, right?

No, none at all - no real "problem" there...

I remember that MC explained that analog gain reduction from 0db after the DAC, causes more noise then digital gain reduction before the dac.
People think there is some inherent flaw in digital, but there is a flaw in electrons and photons too (photon noise and electron noise). If someone would never have drawn those stepped waveforms we would not have a problem in our head, cause there never was a stepped waveform at any dac output. The only real problem with digital is you really really need to make sure no audio above nyquist (1/2Fs) both in and out. This has been improved greatly from the beginning of digital and explained the better cd player sound every new generation in the beginning.
Another thing is that some miss the flaws of the old analogue media, like tape wow and flutter (gives some life) Limited bandwidth (less harsh), second order distortion (warmth), Compression due to media, both tape and vinyl (Glue, cohesion). And distortion in general, our ears distort to at high levels, so distortion to our brain means it is nice and loud. LOL. I am speaking about this from the point of creator, not listener. For me it is all about creating the magic.
And as all creaters do (musicians and producers), I use all the mentioned, modulation, compression, distortion, coloured noise sources and eq's in the creative process.

These are quite contradictory requirements. First fighting like a bean counter for every bit of SNR/dynamic at the volume control to then give the sound the neck shot in the grand finale and twist it at will.

On the other hand, if you like to listen with very high dynamics, then at some point the sound doesn't matter because you can't hear anything anymore.

Or do I see this too negatively now? ;-)

Don't take me too serious on that now .. but I couldn't resist ;-)

Well, you got me there :-)

Still, I guess the one would be "good" noise and the other "bad" noise, or something like that...

More consequent might be to get a tube amplifier and to use the ADI-2 DAC FS as preamp.

That would be more consequent, but with a bunch of good plugins you could be tuberolling without the hassle of it. Would you exchange your Accuphase for a rack of overdeveloped lightbulbs Ramses

My point exactly

Spare parts is major concern. Had two rca ecc83 nos tubes laying here. Got some 40 euros each. Its not getting cheaper.

An average German acid trip. Im glad im from cold headed Scandinavia