Hi Folks,
maybe a newbie question:
I just installed my ADI-2 DAC via USB and according to compatibility list, it is supported by Volumio and Hardware Mixer is also supported.
In the settings, I changed the Mixer to “Hardware”, but Volume change in Volumio has no effect.
I also tried all possible types of mixer like AES Rate, System Rate, etc, but also no effect.
What a am I missing? Or is it not possible to control the volume via Volumio with this DAC?
Thanks a lot & best regards!
Michael
Not all USB DAC’s have hardware volume control implemented in their xmos interface. You would need to check that with RME.
When plugging the ADI-2 into my Windows 11 Notebook, Volume Control via Software is possible.
So generally it seems to work, but not in combination with Volumio.
Any things I might be missing to make it also work with Volumio?
If no mixer works, then you still have the choice of software volume control.
Yeah I know… but thats why I went to the ADI-2, because I thought Hardware Mixer ist supported 
Yes, I understand. But I have a DAC with a supposed HW volume, but with no effect when volume is changed. So only software volume control is effective in this case.
But don’t know for your dAc…
In your opinion, do you think it makes sense to use a DAC Like the ADI-2 with Software Mixer?
Again, if this is not implemented, your only choise is software volume control, which Windows would make use of.
Check with RME, I have multiple USB DACs, only one of them does hw volume control after an xmos firmware update.
Hi Wheaten,
Thanks a lot for the Link.
The Text says, that HW Volume Control is not available for any OS. This seems not to be the actual Status, as it works with Windows OS. Still hoping for a kind of tweak to make it also work with Linux/Volumio. Otherwise I will arrange myself with SW Volume Control
Best regards!
Michael
your only hope could be a firmware update for your device, if the hardware inside supports HW volume control
Then the Windows driver is using software volume control, as expected.
The xmos firmware upgrade I was referring to concerns a Khadas Tone board. It was implemented in a later release, I presume on customer request.
It also depends on what you are playing. Volumio cannot change the volume of DSD music unless the DSD is converted to PCM. It is possible that Windows is doing that conversion. The ADi-2 DAC (I have an ADI-2 Pro) allows you to play DoP or native DSD. Neither of those modes can have the volume controlled by the sender. The volume of PCM can be controlled by the sender.
But then you would be using software volume control, which changes the stream from being bit-perfect.
Personally, I want the music to be as accurate as possible, which is why I use DSD256 most of the time. My ADI-2 Pro has a volume control, but I leave that, and feed the analog music through a Spectral pre-amp or directly into my Koss electrostatic headphones, both of which have volume controls. There is no computer in my setup after Volumio, and I would never use software volume control there, as it would require conversion to PCM.
