Phase Alignment volume issues

[Robert]

Hi I have some issues re this scenario:

First I engaged Phase + at volume 0.0 as I run a pre-amp without checking DC offset at amplifier.

I thought this was running phase alignment correctly.

This really activates it as long as the digital output volume is less than -9dBFS.

I find this comment confusing is less -8dBFS or -10dBFS?

First off, it won't work with (XXHighEnd's !) Digital Attenuation of less than 9.5dBFS. So, the Digital Volume of XXHighEnd *has* to be used. Otherwise it won't engage.

After reading this several times I now take it that I have not engaged Phase Alignment. Is this correct?

The strange thing is there is a large sound difference between engaging Phase and disconnecting it even at my volume setting. It definitely sounds better engaged at my volume setting.

Obviously the more the digital setting is lowered(more attenuation) for me, the more I will have to raise my preamp volume.

At this point I need to check DC offset at amps then try PA.

Should we be putting this volume setting in our web signature? I realise everyone's setup is different so one persons setting will not work for another.

[PeterSt]

Yes, that is always confusing.

So, "full output" is at -0dBFS. Attenuate this with 3dBFS and the output (volume) will be less (and will be at -3dBFS).

Attenuate more, means getting that always negative number again lower.

Output more volume, means that the always negative number will get higher.

And of coure -3 is a higher number than -6.

Blahblah

[PeterSt]

The only way to check whether Phase Alignment has engaged is by means of looking at the Wallpaper Coverart. Well, this lately appears to me as a quite moot thing for many, because many don't even know what that is. Anyway, when there's a _~_ or _I_ showing in the back(bone) of the CD (the Wallpaper Coverart) PA has NOT engaged. It has when it shows *~* or *I*.

But for 0.9z-7-2 mind this one : Issue in 0.9z-7-2 with SFS Rounds unequal zero and Phase Alignment.

The strange thing is there is a large sound difference between engaging Phase and disconnecting it even at my volume setting.

Please be careful with "engaging" here. So, it could be my own definition, but all over the place (in this forum) "PA engaged" means "for real". Not only "told to". And this is exactly why this is important - just because of the reaons it won't engage ...

Should we be putting this volume setting in our web signature? I realise everyone's setup is different so one persons setting will not work for another.

Apart from your (eh not) PA observations, people already tend to do this. At least at some stage people did, and those who started to do that will still have it in their sig. So, what it means is that sure there is a difference between preamp at full volume and XXHE attenuating, vs the other way around. Both volumes just work differently and it is good habit to find the proper balance between the two. BUT ...

This obviously assumes a preamp to be in use at all.

More on-topic could be that you perceive a difference between PA switched (!) on vs off in a "volume range" where it won't engage anyway. So, that would be a nice new one, but unintended by me. Wouldn't know how that could happen either, but there's still some more left I don't understand (at all or in full).

Regards and thanks for sharing !
Peter

[Gerard]

The only way to check whether Phase Alignment has engaged is by means of looking at the Wallpaper Coverart.

Peter,

Is it correct that when we use After SFS Rounds that the coverart will not show that it has been engaged. (After let's say 6 sec)??

 

[PeterSt]

If all is right, the Coverart will show its engagement at the moment it just did, or very close upfront to that.
But notice that your "6 seconds" is not any fixed amount of time, but depending on the SFS combined with buffer size. So, if you'd want you can make "minutes" of it really.
This is for 0.9z-7-2 (and not for the 0.9z-7-1 which has been there for an hour or so).

Regards,
Peter