Digital vs Analog Volume Control, does it matter? Options

[Stephan37]

Thanks to this forum I am an recovering audiophile. It was a very humbling experience to do some double blind testing of 128kbit mps but a necessary one. The cool thing about this process is that I've come to enjoy the music again, not the sound. Thus I listen more with more enjoyment. Thanks to everybody here who have made this learning possible. I have also learned that most audio equipment is not that much different. But since my amp doesn't have a remote control I am in the market for a receiver or new amp. And I like the new features like Airplay and the like.

Now I have been reading a lot about different models etc.

What sometimes comes up is the way the volume control is made - digital vs analog.

Here are my questions:
Should I be bothered? Is one really better? Will I hear a difference?

Thanks in advance for your time!

Stephen

[knutinh]

I do believe that the signal processing software in AVRs differ? There are many ways to map N channels of content to M channels of loudspeakers, and if you want room/loudspeaker correction, that is another differentiatior

[Arnold B. Kruege...]

I do believe that the signal processing software in AVRs differ? There are many ways to map N channels of content to M channels of loudspeakers, and if you want room/loudspeaker correction, that is another differentiatior

Much of the DSP code might be a lot less variable than one might think. A big chunk of the DSP code has to be licensed by people like DTS and Dolby who are pretty sophisticated and careful. They appear to be the developers of much of it. It appears to be primarily distributed through chip manufacturers. Of the major AVR manufacturers, only Yamaha appears to have the technical resources to actually develop this sort of programming in depth.

One major variable among AVRs from various manufacturers and at various price levels is the automated system optimization software, IOW Audyssey, MCACC and YPAO. How this software works can reasonably expected to introduce sonic variations that are easy to reliably detect in a good level-matched, time-synched, double blind listening test. Some of those variations may even have strong random components.

[knutinh]

Much of the DSP code might be a lot less variable than one might think. A big chunk of the DSP code has to be licensed by people like DTS and Dolby who are pretty sophisticated and careful. They appear to be the developers of much of it. It appears to be primarily distributed through chip manufacturers. Of the major AVR manufacturers, only Yamaha appears to have the technical resources to actually develop this sort of programming in depth.

The codecs themselves probably have reference implementations, compliance tests etc. My guess is that working with them consists mainly of optimizing cycles for a given dsp architecture. It seems that some (typically new/exotic) codecs have license conditions that ensure that they will be included only in more expensive receivers.

The processing after decoding is more open. I believe that there have been a number of "bugs"/undesirable features wrgt e.g. bass management in different receiver products. The user generally just wants things "to work" given an ever-increasing list of possible input formats.

One major variable among AVRs from various manufacturers and at various price levels is the automated system optimization software, IOW Audyssey, MCACC and YPAO. How this software works can reasonably expected to introduce sonic variations that are easy to reliably detect in a good level-matched, time-synched, double blind listening test. Some of those variations may even have strong random components.

As seen e.g. here:
http://seanolive.blogspot.com/2009/11/subj...luation-of.html

Moreover, perceptually motivated level control was a topic when I did my last purchase.

-k

[Arnold B. Kruege...]

As seen e.g. here:
http://seanolive.blogspot.com/2009/11/subj...luation-of.html

Unfortunately that article is now 4 years old and that can be pretty deadly with a fast-moving technology.