You say you are not too technical, but see if this helps your understanding.
It is generally better to have a good match between the output of a source device (your Touch player) and the amplifier being used to power the speakers. While there is a general range of output voltage one can expect from a source, some have higher output and others have less. Same with amplifiers, which take a low-voltage, low-current signal and amplify it to a higher-voltage, higher-current level so the speakers can be driven. The "input sensitivity" (the amount of input voltage it takes to produce full power from the amp) can vary with the brand & model of amp involved. And then you have the recorded volume of the music itself -- digital files, just like CDs and LP records, can be recorded at different levels. If you've ever switched songs and immediately had to adjust the volume up or down to maintain the same sound level, this is what's going on. My amp happens to have a volume control, but I set the amp's volume control at a level where softly recorded music played with the Touch volume at max gives me the loudest volume I would normally want in my listening room. That means that when I play a loudly recorded song, I'll have to turn the Touch's volume down a bit more, but it keeps me from running the Touch volume control at a very low setting. Typically, with a digital volume control (i.e., the Touch) you get the best sound quality from the player when its volume control is in the top quarter or third of its range. If that is what happens when you plug your Touch straight into the amp, then I wouldn't worry about the subject any more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mlsstl's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=9598 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=105611 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
