Volume dial position to be audible?

rburgess714

At what point on the volume dial does your system become audible? My integrated has no sound until I get to around 8 O’clock and at 9 it’s singing.

BlueFox

Don't know. My volume dial has no markings. Rather the display shows a number from 0-100. I can hear music in the teens, and I usually listen between 50-60.

rburgess714

BlueFox wrote: »

Don't know. My volume dial has no markings. Rather the display shows a number from 0-100. I can hear music in the teens, and I usually listen between 50-60.

Mine has no numeric markings just using a clock dial for a point of reference.

msg

Mine start coming in off minimum, but it's low. I can comfortably listen at o'clock, and it's usually the starting point for a good listening level in my setups. 10 o'clock starts to get loud.
Does your source have a volume control as well?

mhardy6647

A clean, properly functioning, and well-tracking stereo log taper pot ('volume control') should give nonzero audio output at any point "off the peg". Age is not kind to volume control pots -- and many, many, many pretty good components, over the years, used rather crummy quality pots to start with (lookin' at you, McIntosh C-28! ).

Now, the other things to bear in mind are the 'value' (maximum resistance) of the volume control pot itself, the "taper" of the pot, the "gain structure" of the components in one's own particular hifi chain) and the sensitivity of one's loudspeakers. (oh, and also the senstivity of one's own ears and the background noise level in one's "hifi room").

All of which is to say that it's gonna be somewhat system dependent.

EDIT: Also probably worth mentioning that volume controls are - in virtually all cases - operating as attenuators. They reduce the maximum signal being supplied to the next stage in the amplifier (or component chain) from the maximum value.

EDIT^2 FWIW I use a passive, constant impedance stepped (i.e., tapped) transformer attenuator for volume control, rather than the traditional "stereo pot".

invalid

Mine starts at about 8:00 and I can turn it to about 2-3 o'clock, my speakers are inefficient and my amps input sensitivity is 2.5 volts. The background noise in my dedicated room is very low.

rburgess714

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like my integrated becoming audible at 8:00 isn’t necessarily out of the norm.

jdjohn

I would say another factor (perhaps more so with older pieces) could be cleanliness of relay contacts. As they develop corrosion over time, it takes more 'juice' to get the signal through. Of course if the amp is left 'on' all the time, it should make corrosion less likely to occur since the contacts aren't exposed to as much O2. But with the on/off cycle, microscopic sparks can occur that create carbon deposits on the contacts. And with older pieces that have sat unused for several years, having the relay contacts 'flapping in the wind' (so to speak), can create a thin layer of corrosion. This is why relays are inside little boxes - to minimize air contact.

F1nut

It's a Musical Fidelity M6Si.

Emlyn

I would not be concerned. I would be concerned if the volume control could not be adjusted in increments to set the volume at a variety of comfortable listening levels. A big variation in output from 8 o'clock to 9 o'clock may indicate that the gain is a little high or speakers are very efficient?

With an Anthem Pre-2L SE tube preamp I have there are three gain settings inside. The original model had a remote with volume adjustments that were too big resulting in barely audible music at one setting to blasting with one button push. That problem was corrected later on.

rburgess714

F1nut wrote: »

It's a Musical Fidelity M6Si.

Yes it is. I assume it’s no big deal?

F1nut

rburgess714 wrote: »

F1nut wrote: »

It's a Musical Fidelity M6Si.

Yes it is. I assume it’s no big deal?

Nope. My MF dial mark starts about 7, which is no sound. I guess about 8 it's making sound, but I never turn it down that low.

Emlyn

Parasound JC2 is similar. Control starts at 7 on the dial and best sound is between noon and 1 depending on the source. Not much sound going on at 8. Parasound says the best "bloom" is designed into the preamp between noon and 1 on the volume control.