I’m running a RPi 4B with a USB connected SMSL DO100 PRO DAC. The audio quality is outstanding, I’m only streaming with tidal direct.
I can’t seem to get hardware volume control to show up, only options I have are none, or software. What should I be looking for in the specs that say hardware volume control should work, or not.
If this unit can’t do that, I’ve looked through the compatibility list, but wondering if there are any recommendations for a similar balanced out DAC with hardware volume control that this community would recommend, say in the $200 range?
Hello and welcome to the forum. You might want to take a look at this thread where users have posted their findings on the USB DACs they’ve tried. Some work with hardware mixer and some don’t. Perhaps there’s a pattern with SMSL. In any case, there a plenty of recommendations there.
It’s due to MQA. I have a Topping E50, with MQA and a Topping D10B, no MQA. The D10B supports HW volume control but the E50 does not.
While it is called HW volume control, my Topping DACs and your SMSL DAC would actually implement it as a digital volume control. An electronically controllable hardware volume control would make the DACs too expensive. A digital volume controls breaks MQA, so the E50 and DO100 do not implement the “Hardware” (which is really digital) volume control.
I’ll go have a look again at the compatibility list and see if I can find any units that appear to support hardware (digital) volume control that also support MQA. If I don’t find any I suppose that’s as good of any spec to be avoiding.